NEW YORK – Major League Soccer, Black Players for Change and the MLS Players Association Thursday launched MLS Unites to Vote.

It is a league-wide, non-partisan initiative to help players, staff and fans register to vote and participate in this year’s election.

Kicking off prior to National Black Voter Day on Friday and National Voter Registration Day Tuesday, Sept. 22, MLS Unites to Vote plans to use enterprise-wide platforms to educate our community on the voting process, drive voter registration, encourage volunteerism on election day, and showcase the efforts of its clubs and players.

MLS front office and select U.S.-based club facilities will be closed on Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 3), to ensure that everyone in the MLS community can exercise their right to vote and serve their community as a poll worker or nonpartisan election volunteer.

“Participation in local and national elections is one of the most important responsibilities we have as citizens. Major League Soccer and our players recognize the opportunity we have to leverage our platform to amplify the importance of voting,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said in a statement. “We hope to inspire MLS fans and the entire soccer community to educate themselves about the voting process, register to vote, and vote on Election Day.”

MLS is teaming up with Power the Polls, a nonpartisan initiative of businesses and nonprofits working to recruit a new generation of young, diverse poll workers to help ensure a safe and secure election. The league also will become a member of the Civic Alliance, a nonpartisan network of more than 200 companies working together to encourage voter participation.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.