DJs Spin at Polls in 24 States

Local DJs played music near polling places nationwide on Election Day as part of a non-partisan get-out-the-vote initiative.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Elections

Outdoor speaker and laptop set up under a white canopy beside a small red brick building on a quiet sidewalk. — Local DJs played upbeat music near polling places in 24 states on Tuesday as part of a nonpartisan get-out-the-vote initiative, including in Waterloo. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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DJ at the Polls placed 518 local DJs near polling places across 24 states on Tuesday, with two more spinning music in Iowa. In Waterloo, DJ Billi Baker, whose legal name is Justin Baker, played music near a polling place on Kimball Avenue.

Why it matters

The initiative aims to encourage people to come out and vote on Election Day, using music to create an upbeat atmosphere around polling sites in Waterloo and elsewhere.

DJ at the Polls reported 518 participating DJs in 24 states on Election Day, with two more in Iowa. The extraction does not provide turnout figures or any measure of the initiative's effect on voting.

The players

DJ at the Polls

A nationwide non-partisan get-out-the-vote initiative that places local DJs near polling places to encourage voting.

Justin Baker (Billi Baker)

A Waterloo, Iowa DJ who performed near a Kimball Avenue polling place on Election Day as part of the initiative.

The details

Baker, a Waterloo DJ who plays parties and events, set up a laptop routed to a large speaker under a portable canopy near the Kimball Avenue polling place, playing a clean, upbeat mix kept at a moderate volume. The initiative is nationwide and non-partisan, and was founded in 2009.

2009: DJ at the Polls is founded.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: DJs play music near polling places in 24 states on Election Day.

Season Trajectory

DJ at the Polls has operated as a nationwide non-partisan get-out-the-vote initiative since 2009, and this Election Day deployment extends that ongoing effort. The extraction offers no comparison of participation across cycles.

Residents near polling places in Waterloo may encounter DJs playing music on future Election Days if the initiative continues. The extraction does not confirm any scheduled return of the program.

The takeaway

Music near polling sites is one way the DJ at the Polls initiative seeks to draw voters, and its Waterloo presence reflects a nationwide effort rather than a local one. Readers can consider how such outreach fits into broader voter engagement efforts.