DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. — A central Pennsylvania musician is helping turn the polls into a party.
DJ Gains Bond was hired by DJs at the Polls, a non-profit group that hires local musicians to work outside polling places during elections so they can draw a crowd and get people excited to cast their ballot.
This was Bond’s first year performing for the group.
He was in Harrisburg in the morning before performing later in the day in York. Bond will be performing outside the Appell Center before polls close at 8 p.m. on Tuesday.
Although he’s been spinning the track for more than 15 years, Bond says today has been a whole new experience.
“This might not have been their number one choice for voting but if it’s local for them then they get to see it, I get to interact with them, they get to interact with me, so it’s like a tennis match,” said Bond.
Bond says he already signed up to perform outside of polls in November so people can expect to hear and dance with him again this year.
DJ at the Polls says they have a goal of putting DJs at more than 5,0000 polling sites across the country on November 5.
The company conducted a randomized control trial in Philadelphia in 2022, showing voter turnout increased by 3%. The non-profit also performed a similar trial in Virginia the same year and noticed a similar boost in voter turnout.
Bond routinely posts on social media and hosts a live TikTok show every Tuesday.