DJs Bring Music to Polling Sites in 24 States
The initiative aims to make voting feel welcoming and encourage participation by having community DJs play outside polling places. Organizers say DJs will perform at roughly 4,500 to 5,000 sites nationwide. They will not discuss candidates, parties or ballot measures, and are expected to wear no campaign clothing and play family-friendly music.
In Houston, DJ GQ Mike, whose name is Michael Sanni, plans to play West African dance rhythms, Jamaican reggae, Latin sounds, rhythm and blues, and Motown classics. A DJ for 20 years, he said the polling place is a new setting for him. He has promoted Election Day on social media and voted early.
The project began in 2009 with founder Anton Moore bringing DJs to polling locations. Julia Chang Frank joined Moore in 2022, helped test the approach and later worked to expand the initiative nationally. A randomized controlled trial that year found turnout among BIPOC voters rose by as much as 3% at sites with DJs.
Organizers are also sending DJs to selected California voting centers and ballot drop boxes, including in Merced and Bakersfield. The initiative says it prioritizes communities with a history of lower election participation, such as younger people, first-time voters and people of color.
A Berkeley software company built apps that help recruit and match DJs to polling sites, coordinate equipment and support performers on Election Day. The system also tracks their check-ins and handles payment. DJs at the Polls began with two performers and now has about 15,000 DJs in its network, Moore said.
Local DJs Make Voting More Welcoming for Underrepresented Communities
Making it easier for people to feel welcome at the polls is the goal of a nationwide effort sending local DJs to polling locations on November 3. The nonpartisan DJs at the Polls initiative plans to station about 2,000 performers at roughly 4,500 to 5,000 sites across 24 states.
The program focuses on communities that have historically been underrepresented in elections, including communities of color, young voters and people voting for the first time. A 2022 randomized controlled trial found turnout among BIPOC voters increased by as much as 3% at sites with DJs.
In Houston, DJ GQ Mike plans to play West African dance rhythms, Jamaican reggae, Latin sounds, rhythm and blues, and Motown classics at a polling location. The initiative will also place performers at selected California voting centers and ballot drop boxes, including sites in Merced and Bakersfield.
The project’s organizers say the DJs will not mention candidates, parties or ballot measures. They will avoid campaign attire and stick to music suitable for all ages, keeping the focus on a welcoming community atmosphere rather than partisan campaigning.
The effort began in 2009 with two DJs and has grown to a network of about 15,000. Software developed by a Berkeley company helps organizers recruit performers, assign them to nearby polling places, coordinate equipment and pay them. The music is intended to make Election Day more inviting; organizers’ trial results suggest the approach can also raise participation among voters of color.
Nonpartisan Rules Keep DJs’ Election Day Sets Away From Campaigning
A nationwide initiative will put music outside polling sites on November 3, while requiring participating DJs to steer clear of campaign messages. DJs at the Polls plans about 2,000 performers at roughly 4,500 to 5,000 locations across 24 states.
The initiative says its DJs cannot discuss candidates, parties or ballot measures, wear campaign gear or play anything other than family-friendly music. That distinction matters: a polling place should remain a place to cast a ballot, not a stage for partisan persuasion. The organizers describe the effort as nonpartisan and say the music is meant to create a welcoming atmosphere.
In the Houston area, more than 200 polling locations are slated to have DJs. Michael Sanni, known as DJ GQ Mike, plans a selection spanning West African dance rhythms, Jamaican reggae, Latin sounds, rhythm and blues, plus Motown classics. He has also encouraged his social media followers to vote and cast his own ballot early.
The initiative began in 2009 with two DJs and now has a network of about 15,000, founder Anton Moore said. Organizers say the program prioritizes communities historically underrepresented at the polls. A 2022 trial found turnout among BIPOC voters rose by as much as 3% at locations with DJs.
A Berkeley software firm built tools to match performers with polling places, arrange equipment, track attendance and process payments. The initiative’s scale makes clear that this is a coordinated effort to shape the voting experience; its stated limits on campaigning are central to keeping that effort nonpartisan.
Reported by Berkeleyside, KPRC 2 Click2Houston.
