Election Defenders, a nonpartisan group of volunteers fighting voter suppression, has teamed up with the musical movement, Joy to the Polls, to ease voter anxiety through curated playlists. The campaign started in Philadelphia this October, gathering artists to perform outside various voting sites across the country.
In an interview with The Guardian, Nelini Stamp, Election Defenders campaign director, says, “We have rampant voter suppression in the US…It [all] could scare people from voting. So our approach is to try and focus on the positive, to ask ourselves, how can we be as positive as possible within a really scary situation?” Music, Stamp says, “serves as a great de-escalator because it sets the tone…It was super beautiful! There were even some poll workers who came out with us when their shifts were done to get down on with us.”
I love us so much. We rise. Always. https://t.co/bEySCGf2hr
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) October 25, 2020
Now, the #JoytothePolls campaign has collaborated with celebrities and public figures to deliver some feel-good playlists to voters, available to stream on Spotify. In addition to these curated tracks, Stamps says, “We are calling on all voters to make their own playlists to deliver a clear, joyful message that we will protect our democracy from this pandemic and from voter suppression wherever it shows up.”
If you’re on your way to the polls today or daunted by the line ahead of you, tune in to these great playlists at #JoytothePolls on Spotify.
Top photo from #JoytothePolls on Instagram.
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