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#JoyToThePolls
@JoyToThePolls
Voting should be joyful! #JoyToThePolls @ResistanceRev
6:07 PM · Oct 24, 2020
Waiting to vote in Philly’s long lines wasn’t so bad thanks to musicians, motorcyclists, MTV, and free food
by Christian Hetrick, Posted: October 24, 2020
Carlton Jackson was prepared to be bored when he showed up to vote Saturday in South Philadelphia. The long line of people waiting to fill out and hand in ballots snaked along two sides of the High School for Creative & Performing Arts (CAPA). But Jackson got some surprise entertainment from Movemakers Philly, a youth hip-hop dance team. The dancing kids and music from the DJ had voters clapping to the beat and shooting video on their phones outside the school on South Broad Street. Jackson posted a recording on social media, thinking the video could motivate others to vote early. “With this making it more fun, it gets people to come out,” said the 47-year-old South Philly resident who, at that point, had been in line an hour and a half. “It doesn’t seem that long.”
On what was the inaugural “Vote Early Day,” a national effort to highlight voting options with Election Day just 10 days away, musicians, motorcyclists, and community members made voting a little more exciting throughout the city with events meant to entertain, educate, and encourage. Those who did turn out to vote found free food and music outside some satellite voting locations, which allow voters to request and cast a mail-in ballot in one location. At a time when some worry about voter intimidation, those in line Saturday said the music and other entertainment created safe and comforting environments, where kids played nearby and adults competed in chess. “I also think that kids bring safety. We want this to be a safe place for everybody to express their choice,” said Mark Wong, 39, a lead break dancing coach for Movemakers Philly. “So let’s keep it light. Let’s keep it fun.”
Movemakers was to be joined at CAPA by other local artists including the Urban Movement Arts youth hip-hop dancers, hand drummer Karen Smith, performance poet Nina Lyrispect, and salsa teacher Maestro Flaco. The hour of entertainment was organized by the Painted Bride Art Center, a nonprofit performance space and gallery. The Bride plans to bring pop-up performances to Overbook Elementary School on Oct. 31 and to the Liacouras Center at Temple University on Election Day.
Elsewhere in the city, Resistance Revival Chorus — a group of women and nonbinary singers who perform protest songs — was to sing at Tilden Middle School in Southwest Philadelphia. The show was part of “Joy to the Polls,” a series of mobile concerts to entertain early voters set up by the Election Defenders, volunteers organized by national progressive groups. Election Defenders is organizing mini-concerts across the country to motivate voters standing in long lines. In some states, the wait to cast ballots has been several hours, in some cases because there are fewer polling locations this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Read more:
https://www.inquirer.com/news/early-voting-philadelphia-city-hall-movemakers-philly-black-bikers-ride-20201024.html
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