Major League Baseball Relocating All-Star Game from Atlanta In Response to Georgia's Restrictive Voting Laws

Major League Baseball made a bold decision on Friday as the league announced it would relocate the 2021 MLB All-Star Game from Atlanta following the passage of a Georgia law aimed at restricting voting rights.

The statement opens by announcing that after talking with clubs, current and former players, the Players Association and others, MLB has decided to relocate the All-Star Game and the draft.

It continues:

"Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all American and opposes restrictions to the ballot box. In 2020, MLB became the first professional sports league to join the non-partisan Civic Alliance to help build a future in which everyone participates in shaping the United States. We proudly used our platform to encourage baseball fans and communities throughout our country to perform their civic duty and actively participate in the voting process. Fair access to voting continues to have our game's unwavering support. "

While the All-Star Game and the draft will be moved, the league still plans to honor Hank Aaron during this year's All-Star festivities and will continue with planned investments in the Atlanta community.

This is a brutal blow to Georgia after it passed one of the most restrictive voting laws in the country. You can read up on the law and what it actually does here.

This move is similar to one the NBA made back in 2016 when it announced the 2017 All-Star Game would be relocated from Charlotte. That decision came after North Carolina passed a controversial bill that limited anti-discrimination protections for LGBTG individuals in the state.