DJs at the Polls, a nonpartisan nonprofit, plans to put live music outside 5,000 polling places in 24 states on Election Day. Seventy-nine of those locations are in the San Antonio area. The group has recruited about 2,000 DJs, including Michael Benjamin, who goes by DJ Mike Sr. He said he will start his morning outside a San Antonio polling place with lighter music and move to higher-energy songs.
The initiative began in Philadelphia during the 2008 election, when founder Anton Moore placed a DJ outside his neighborhood polling place. Moore said the idea spread on social media. The effort focuses on neighborhoods with historically low turnout, including areas with large populations of people of color, young people and first-time voters.
DJs taking part are told to stay neutral and avoid songs that could be seen as political statements. Moore said that while some poll workers have complained about the music, most welcome it.