NBA All-Star and sports analyst Shaquille O’Neal cast his ballot for the first time during this year’s presidential election.
“You know I always like being honest on my podcast. I’ve never voted before, America,” O’Neal, 48, said Wednesday on The Big Podcast with Shaq. “I voted for the first time, and it feels good."
He told his podcast co-hosts he had no excuse for not voting in any other elections but suggested he didn’t agree with the electoral college system.
“I’ve never understood the electoral college system,” O’Neal said, noting that a popular, or majority, vote makes more sense to him.
He went on to explain his confusion regarding how Donald Trump became president in 2016 when Hillary Clinton won the popular vote.
O’Neal, who voted via absentee ballot, did not reveal who he voted for but said he wants to be a part of “changing the narrative.”
“I’m doing all these voting campaigns, and you know one thing I never like to do is be a hypocrite,” he said, referencing his involvement in the election campaigns of Atlanta’s district attorney Fani Willis and Orange County Sheriff John Mina in Florida.
Earlier this year, O’Neal partnered with When We All Vote, an organization founded by Michelle Obama, Tom Hanks, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Janelle Monae, Chris Paul, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. The nonpartisan organization provides tools and resources aimed at encouraging people to get registered and prepared to vote.
“It has never been more important to exercise your right to vote,” O’Neal wrote Tuesday on Twitter.
#ExerciseThatVote💪. @JaneFonda getting us in shape for the race of our lives this November. It has never been more important to exercise your right to vote. Today is the deadline to register in many states so DONT WAIT! Go to the link in my bio and check your status now!! pic.twitter.com/jegC7NelJw
— SHAQ (@SHAQ) October 6, 2020
Listen to the full podcast episode here.
Cox Media Group
