NBA Voting Break: No Games Scheduled for November 3

The National Basketball Association will not play a single game on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The league is skipping its Election Day slate to allow players, staff, and fans to vote. This marks the fourth time in five years that the NBA has observed this civic holiday without scheduled action.

The league first implemented this policy in 2022. It continued the no-game initiative in 2023 and 2024. For the 2025 season, the NBA reversed course and scheduled games on Election Day. It announced the return of the voting break when it released the schedule for the current 2026-27 season.

The organization stated that it wants the broader NBA community to make plans to vote. The league emphasized the importance of participating in the civic process. This decision prioritizes civic engagement over a standard competitive night.

All 30 teams will play on Monday, Nov. 2, the day before the election. The league will resume its schedule immediately after the holiday. Fourteen games are set for Wednesday, Nov. 4.

Election Day remains one of the few days with zero NBA games during the regular season. The league also takes breaks for Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. The All-Star break is scheduled for Feb. 19-24, 2027.

Other major sports leagues are active on Election Day. The National Hockey League has 11 games scheduled for Tuesday. Dozens of men’s and women’s college basketball games are also on the books.