London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

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
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×