LOS ANGELES -- The NBA said Tuesday it will not schedule any games when voters go to the polls for pivotal US midterm elections in November.

The league said in a statement no games would be on the schedule on November 8, when control of the US Congress will be up for grabs at the ballot box.

The league, which will announce its full schedule for the 2022-2023 season on Wednesday, said the move was designed to encourage fans to vote.

A statement said the decision "came out of the NBA family's focus on promoting nonpartisan civic engagement and encouraging fans to make a plan to vote during midterm elections."

The league said NBA teams would also make a concerted effort to distribute information on their state's voting process and voter registration deadlines.

A full schedule of games will take place on the eve of the elections on November 7, where teams will use games to "amplify the work of each team to promote civic engagement in their respective markets and share important voting resources from our partners."

The NBA has actively encouraged political activism amongst its players in recent years, notably in 2020 following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor during confrontations with police.

Many NBA arenas were converted into polling stations during the 2020 presidential election as part of league efforts to boost voter turnout.

© Agence France-Presse