Nick Nurse wants Americans abroad to vote this November

Raptors coach Nick Nurse wants Americans living in Canada to register to vote for the federal election this November

Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse has a message for Americans living in Canada and abroad: Vote.

The 52-year-old Nurse will tell you himself he hasn't always been the most responsible American citizen when it comes to voting. His basketball career has taken him to four different countries around the world and he admitted Sunday that he hasn't always voted in political elections. But in 2020, the times have changed, according to Nurse.

"No excuses anymore," he said. "It's time for everybody to exercise their right."

Nurse, in conjunction with other coaches and players, published a minute-long public service announcement Saturday night encouraging the over 650,000 Americans living in Canada to vote in the upcoming election.

"When George Floyd was killed there was a lot of action," Nurse said. "When our coaches got on a call and our players got on a call and there was just lots of brainstorming of thoughts and I think that a pretty common theme was voting in the United States."

He said he wanted to help spread the word and encourage Americans abroad to make their voices heard this November by registering to vote at fvap.gov.

Like so many other Americans, Nurse said he used to think his voice didn't matter politically.

"When I was younger, maybe I didn't know how to do it, didn't like either candidate, I didn't think my vote counted enough, whatever, all those excuses," he said.

The story is very much the same for Raptors sharpshooter Matt Thomas, who said he wasn't very politically aware until recently. He said he's taken it upon himself to become more politically engaged to help deal with the turmoil of our times.

"Right now just with everything going on in our country, I think it's very important that everyone's voices are heard," Thomas said. "That's one way for us Americans living outside of the states to vote and make our voice heard."

There were three million American citizens of voting age living abroad in 2016, according to the Federal Voting Assistance Program. Approximately 7% of those Americans cast ballots in 2016.

Correction: July 19

An earlier version of this article incorrectly states Nick Nurse's age. He is 52 years old.

An earlier version of this article incorrectly spelled George Floyd's name.