Philadelphia DJs hope the power of music will inspire young people to vote

Philadelphia elections officials are urging the city’s youth to vote next month, and DJs are ready to record soundtracks on their trips to the polls.

On Tuesday morning, rapper Latto’s lavish “Big Mama” hosted a party at Parkway West High School in West Philadelphia.

Members of non-profit organizations DJs at polling stations was organized in front of the school to mobilize students – playing tunes, of course, with the ears of Generation Z in mind – while Democratic City Commissioner Omar Sabir encouraged young people to vote in the November 5 elections.

“There will never be an election like this again in our lifetime,” Sabir told the crowd of more than 100 students standing behind him.

Sabir, one of three elected city commissioners, and his office are responsible for administering the city’s elections and registering Philadelphians to vote at more than 700 polling places.

Philadelphia, where the lion’s share of residents are registered Democrats, is not considered a battleground in purple Pennsylvania. But to win the state comfortably and reap a key electoral college advantage from it, Democrats will need to ensure high voter turnout in urban areas.

Sabir’s office said its engagement efforts are nonpartisan. The commissioner reminded the public Tuesday that this election season, city commissioners have opened 11 satellite locations where residents can register to vote and apply for absentee and absentee ballots, among other things.

His stop at Parkway West, a magnet school in the Mill Creek neighborhood, was the first in a series of visits to local schools planned in the coming weeks with the assist of DJs from the Polls, an official partner of the City Commissioners’ office.

Sabir said his goal is to get 100,000 Philadelphians to exploit his office’s satellite locations by mid-October. The commissioner also reminded students who are over 17 years of age that they can become volunteers and become election commission employees.

This isn’t the first time the power of rhythm has invigorated a tense election cycle.

Four years ago, the Philadelphia cha-cha went viral when: video votes of voters dancing to a DJ Slide song while waiting in line to cast their votes circulated on social media.

Anton Moore, leader of Philadelphia’s 48th District and co-founder of DJs at Polls, said his nonprofit has recruited more than 300 DJs who will play outside the city’s polling stations on Nov. 5. Moore is also a former member of hip-hop radio station Moc 99 FM.

Moore helped found the nonprofit in 2008, when DJ the Polls had just a handful of DJs and its first location was a polling place at 23rd Street and Snyder Avenue.

This election cycle, polling place DJs have spread to 11 states and 8,500 polling places, according to Moore. He added that in accordance with local election guidelines, DJs belonging to the non-profit organization will be positioned on sidewalks at the required distance from the polling station.

“The atmosphere is good, people are excited,” Moore said of the DJ’s impact on Election Day. “We want to do it for younger people, older adults. Say, “You can have a good time and have fun.”

The nonprofit organization has gotten original with its marketing this election cycle, offering giveaways and social media campaigns to drive interest in voter registration.

For example, in a conversation with Parkway West students on Tuesday, Moore urged students to send their parents text messages reminding them to vote in November; many students did not have phones due to school rules, but those who did were asked to submit a screenshot of their message to the nonprofit for a chance to win tickets to an upcoming concert by singer and rapper Rod Wave.

Also present Tuesday were students from Middle Years Alternative School located on Parkway West; although students in grades five through eight are not of voting age, some held hand-drawn signs with enthusiastic slogans such as “Your Vote Matters” and “Women Won.”

Middle School Alternative School principal Toni Damon told students that voting this year wasn’t just about representation, but about actively opposing voter suppression.

Addressing students who may not have a preference for either presidential candidate, Damon added that their vote was not a “love letter” to any politician, but rather “a stand for the world you want to live in tomorrow.”

“You influence today’s style and music,” Damon told his students. “You can influence this election.”