LAS VEGAS — Election Day took on the atmosphere of a block party Tuesday in Las Vegas as disc jockeys brought music, dancing and a festive spirit to the city.
“I think it’s important. Lines are long, and this gives people a chance to relax, decompress, play music and turn voting into a party,” said Brian Houston, who was spinning tunes as people waited in line to vote at the Silverado Ranch Community Center polling station in Las Vegas.
Mr. Houston was stationed outside the voting center to comply with federal election laws.
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Mr. Houston, who uses the moniker DJ B, works as a DJ at strip casinos and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He started playing music at the Silverado Ranch polling station at 7 a.m.
While Mr. Houston was speaking with The Washington Times, a woman approached, thanked him and offered to buy him a Starbucks coffee for his work.
He played a mix of hip-hop, Motown, R&B and as people waited up to 40 minutes to vote. He says he tries to pick nonpartisan songs, which can be tricky, given how outspoken some musicians are about their political beliefs.
Mr. Houston does have to avoid playing songs with explicit political lyrics to comply with election laws.
“I try to focus on the message of the song. I make sure the song has a message about getting your voice out and voices heard,” he said. “Artists have political beliefs, but I focus on the tone and messages of the songs.”
Mr. Houston, a Las Vegas resident, is part of DJs at the Polls, a nonpartisan organization that is expected to deploy 2,000 DJs to polling stations in 24 states on Tuesday. DJs were stationed at other polling places throughout Las Vegas.
The initiative targets communities with historically low voter turnout, particularly minority communities and areas with a large number of first-time or young voters.
The effort began in Philadelphia in 2009, the idea of founder Anton Moore, who believed music could bring people to the ballot box, Mr. Houston said.
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