DJ Mario Barnes is thinking about what Wichita voters might want to hear Tuesday. Maybe some Kool & the Gang. Maybe “Celebration.” Whatever he plays, he plans to take his cues from the people arriving to cast their ballots.
“I’m going to see what the crowd’s looking like and I’ll play the music directly for that crowd,” said Barnes, known around Wichita as DJ Super Mario.
Barnes is joining DJs at the Polls, a national nonpartisan initiative making its Sedgwick County debut Nov. 3. Organizers say local DJs will perform outside 28 polling locations during scheduled portions of Election Day, bringing familiar music and neighborhood personalities to the voting experience.
For Barnes, the opportunity came with plenty of encouragement. Friends kept forwarding messages about the organization’s search for local DJs. He applied and is now scheduled for morning and afternoon performances.
A voter since his college days at Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Barnes hopes his participation will especially connect with college students and newly eligible 18-year-olds, including those who recognize him from community events or social media.
His morning selections may be more relaxed, with higher-energy music planned for the afternoon. Throughout both sets, the focus will be on upbeat, feel-good music.
“I’m not going to talk about nothing political,” Barnes said. “I’m just going to get on there and just play some music, man.”
Familiar DJs, Neighborhood Locations
DJ Marcus El is also preparing to provide an Election Day soundtrack. In a promotional graphic shared on his social media page, he announces: “I’m ready to spin. You ready to vote?”
Between them, Barnes and Marcus El have announced performances at four Wichita locations:
- Urban League of Kansas, 2418 E. 9th St. North: DJ Super Mario, 7–11 a.m.
- Progressive Missionary Baptist Church, 2727 E. 25th St. North: DJ Super Mario, 3–7 p.m.
- WSU Metropolitan Complex, 5015 E. 29th St. North: DJ Marcus El, 7–11 a.m.
- Greater St. Mary’s Missionary Baptist Church, 1648 E. 17th St. North: DJ Marcus El, 3–7 p.m.
These are among the 28 participating polling locations identified by organizers. DJs will play scheduled sets rather than throughout the entire day.
From One Philadelphia Polling Place to 24 States
DJs at the Polls began in 2009 at a single Philadelphia voting location. Founder Anton Moore, whose career included radio at Power 99 and work with BET’s Rap City, brought together two worlds he knew: music and civic participation.
“Music is a bridge,” Moore said. Whether someone is a Democrat, Republican or independent, he explained, a familiar record can get people moving together.
The initiative spread beyond Philadelphia and expanded nationally. According to the organization, it employed more than 3,000 DJs at nearly 6,000 polling locations across 11 states in 2024. This election, organizers say it is operating in 24 states, with more than 9,000 DJs having applied for positions nationwide.
Moore said Wichita was selected because the initiative focuses on communities of color and places with closely contested elections.
Its approach involves hiring DJs who already know their neighborhoods. Those are the same DJs residents might hear at family reunions, weddings and local celebrations. That familiarity is central to the strategy: A community DJ can bring an existing following, personal connections and the ability to read a crowd.
Can Music Increase Voter Turnout?
Organizers believe music can do more than improve the atmosphere.
DJs at the Polls points to a randomized experiment conducted in Philadelphia during the 2022 midterm elections that the organization says found increased voter turnout at participating polling locations.
The music will be outside the polling locations, where organizers hope familiar songs will create a welcoming, festive atmosphere as neighbors arrive to vote. Videos from previous events show voters line dancing outside the polls—a glimpse of how an Election Day errand can become a moment of community celebration.
The nonprofit recruits, hires and trains local DJs to provide family-friendly music without endorsing candidates or political parties. DJs select music appropriate for their audiences while following local election regulations and noise restrictions.
For Barnes, the experience will be successful if residents enjoy themselves and participate in the voting process.
“Everybody’s vote matters. Please come out and vote.”
