London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Mar 08, 2026

The Viral Video Of Voters Dancing While Waiting In Line Is Part Of A Movement To Fight Voter Intimidation

The Viral Video Of Voters Dancing While Waiting In Line Is Part Of A Movement To Fight Voter Intimidation

"Nothing and no one is getting in the way of our joy and our vote!"

To break up the monotony of waiting in line for hours at a time in order to cast their vote for the next president of the United States, some are leaning into the thrill - and power - of dance as a way to combat voter suppression.

On Sunday, a clip showcasing a long line of voters in Philadelphia dancing in unison to the "Cha Cha Slide" by DJ Casper, elicited strong positive reactions from people on Twitter, including film director Ava DuVernay and comedian Wanda Sykes.


The delight thousands of people witnessed online was the result of work being done by Nelini Stamp, 32, the director of strategy for the Working Families Party and the campaign director for Election Defenders, a nonpartisan coalition to make sure voters are "staying safe and healthy outside of polling places across the country and bringing them some joy."

"Because voter suppression has been rampant for years, because there has been so much in the media and so much out there about white supremacists and militia intimidation tactics, we figured that this was a year to make sure that people felt motivated to go vote and not feel unsafe," Stamp told BuzzFeed News. "Especially in the middle of a global pandemic."

Stamp's work is two-fold. With Election Defenders, there's the fun aspect: Joy to the Polls - which kicked off Saturday in Pennsylvania for the inaugural Vote Early Day - is a roving concert which highlights local talent.

The other part entails weekly training for thousands of people across all fifty states in deescalation tactics should voters find themselves dealing with intimidation at a polling location.

Music is a form of deescalation, Stamp said, because "it centers the mood in something else."


Stamp said that while "it feels good" to see the clips of voters dancing being celebrated online, she wished it wasn't something people had to do in the first place.

"That person should not have to have to wait in line for an hour," she said.

"However, we wanted to do something good for those people [standing in line]," she said. "And it felt really good that that person and those folks who saw — whether it was the Cha Cha Slide or the Wobble or people doing the Electric Slide, it at least brought them some joy and some relief in a process that wasn't meant for us, especially Black and brown people."

A few members of the Resistance Revival Chorus, a collective of women, non-binary artists and activists who "join together to breathe joy and song into the resistance," participated in the viral moment.

The chorus is the kind of local talent Stamp wants to benefit with the Joy to the Polls initiative.

Because of the pandemic, many creatives have not been able to do their typical gigs in order to make money. Stamp, partnering with local talent, is able to "actually give them a stipend" which is "like putting fuel into the artists' community again."

Stamp also described what healthy polling looks like, saying, "It's everything from like setting a tone, body language, the vocal tones of your voice, making sure that folks feel a little bit more calm in a very tense environment that we shouldn't even have, because we should actually have efficient ways to vote."

Stamp said folks standing in line are also provided with PPE, water, and hand warmers should they need them.


Voters dancing while waiting in line in Philadelphia as part of the Joy To The Polls initiative.


Historically, people of color in the United States have experienced disenfranchisement when it comes to voting — an issue that continues to this day.

That, coupled with concerns about voter intimidation after President Trump called on his supporters to watch the polls and "defend" the ballot and also told the Proud Boys, a far-right violent group, to "stand back and stand by" last month, contributes to people of color fearing for their safety while casting their ballot.

Online, people admired the dancers and voters for leaning into happiness despite the circumstances.


"We rise. Always," DuVernay said on Twitter.


Writer Shanita Hubbard said that while Black people are fighting against voter suppression, they're also fighting to "preserve our joy."


 


 


 


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Dentists Returned £1.3 Billion to Government as Shift Toward Private Care Accelerates
Expert Warns UK Must Build Emergency Food Stockpiles to Prepare for Climate Shocks or War
UK Plans Charter Flight to Evacuate British Nationals from Gulf as Regional Conflict Disrupts Air Travel
Families of Zimbabwe’s Liberation Fighters Call on Britain to Help Locate Skulls Taken During Colonial War
Iran’s Ambassador Warns Britain to ‘Be Very Careful’ Over Deeper Role in Expanding Middle East War
UK Military Leadership Defends Britain’s Defensive Role in Expanding Middle East Conflict
Four U.S. Strategic Bombers Arrive in Britain as Iran War Intensifies
Soham Murderer Ian Huntley Dies After Violent Attack in High-Security Prison
UK Lawmakers and Experts Condemn Scale of Overseas Human Remains Held in British Museums
Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier HMS Prince of Wales Placed on Standby for Potential Deployment
United Kingdom Confirms U.S. Military Using British Bases for Operations Targeting Iranian Missile Sites
Starmer Defends UK Role in Iran Conflict After Renewed Criticism from President Trump
Blue Owl Reveals £36 Million Exposure After Collapse of UK Lender Serving Wealthy Clients
UK Asylum Reform Plan Triggers Fierce Debate Over Border Control and Humanitarian Impact
US Stealth Bombers Head to UK Base as Trump Issues Stark Warning to Iran
UK Deputy Prime Minister Says Legal Case Could Exist for British Strikes on Iranian Missile Sites
Investigators Link Mysterious Parcel Fires Across Europe to Russian Intelligence Operation
Debate Intensifies Over Britain’s Legal Justification for US Military Operations Launched From UK Bases
Britain Faces Heightened Energy Price Risks as Iran-Linked Tensions Threaten Global Oil and Gas Supplies
British Counter-Terror Police Arrest Four Suspected of Spying on Jewish Community for Iran
Axel Springer Agrees $770 Million Deal to Acquire Britain’s Daily Telegraph
Iceland Supermarket Drops Trademark Challenge Against Icelandic Government in Long-Running Naming Dispute
UK Defence Secretary Visits Cyprus Following Scrutiny of Britain’s Response to Drone Attacks
Questions Grow Over Britain’s Military Readiness as Response to Iran Conflict Draws Scrutiny
UK Offers Failed Asylum Seeker Families Up to Forty Thousand Pounds to Leave Voluntarily
Saharan Dust Could Bring ‘Blood Rain’ to Parts of the UK as Weather Systems Shift
UK Deploys Additional Typhoon Fighter Jets to Qatar and Helicopters to Cyprus Amid Rising Middle East Tensions
Experts Urge Britain to Accelerate Renewable Energy Push as Global Conflicts Drive Up Costs
British Public Shows Strong Reluctance to Join Wider War in Iran
First UK Evacuation Flight Departs Middle East After Lengthy Delay
United Kingdom Imposes New Visa Requirements on Travelers from St. Lucia and Nicaragua
Iran Conflict Strains U.S.–U.K. Alliance as Trump and Starmer Clash Over Military Strategy
UK Interest Rates Could Rise Above Four Percent Again if Energy Shock Continues, Think Tank Warns
Starmer Defends Britain’s Iran Strategy as Badenoch Urges Stronger Military Support
Labour MP Says She Saw No Sign Husband Broke Law After Arrest in China Espionage Investigation
UK Jobless Rate Overtakes Italy’s for First Time in Years as Labour Market Weakens
United Kingdom Suspends Student Visas for Four Countries in Unprecedented Immigration Move
Campaigners Warn UK Student Visa Ban Could Push Migrants Toward Dangerous Channel Crossings
First U.K. Charter Flight for Stranded Nationals Set to Depart Oman Amid Middle East Crisis
France and United Kingdom Deploy Warships to Eastern Mediterranean as Middle East Conflict Escalates
U.K. Arrests Three Men Including Lawmaker’s Partner in Suspected China Espionage Investigation
Trump Says UK–US ‘Special Relationship’ Is Diminished Amid Middle East Dispute
UK Economic Forecasts Face Fresh Strain from Middle East Conflict and Rising Energy Costs
UK Reaffirms Close US Ties After Trump’s Public Criticism
Reeves Stresses Stability and Fiscal Discipline in UK Budget Update as Growth Outlook Shifts
UK Deploys Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Dragon to Cyprus After Drone Strike on RAF Base
Green Party Surges Past Labour in New UK Poll as Traditional Party Support Crumbles
Majority of Britons Oppose U.S. Use of UK Military Bases in Iran Conflict
UK Intensifies Evacuation Efforts from Oman, Working with Airlines to Boost Flight Capacity
Trump Condemns UK and Spain in Unusually Sharp Rift Over Iran Military Action
×