College students raised their hands in the air and got low in front of the Nye Hall dormitory. There were stilt walkers, pole dancers, and flag bearers dressed in sparkly purple costumes weaving among the crowd.
The Purple Tour, put on by the organization DAYBREAKER, is stopping in 50 communities to Get Out the Vote. In Reno, Rapper, DJ, and producer Lil Jon performed.
“If you’re not registered yet, you can register to vote today,” Lil Jon said before playing the song called “Shots” by LMFAO featuring Lil Jon.
Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar also showed off his dance moves. He joined the march through campus to a voting site at the Joe Crowley Student Union. Aguilar said the Purple Tour is a fitting theme for swing state Nevada.
“Anybody that’s willing to spend time to get people out to vote, to get them excited, get them motivated, anybody that can make anybody dance, deserves to be liked,” Aguilar said when asked if he’s a big fan of Lil Jon.
A long line formed on the second floor of the Joe. Standing toward the back was Reno resident Katie Catt, whose biggest issues are women’s and LGBTQ+ rights. She arrived a tad bit too late to see the concert.
“This is the most important thing. I love Lil Jon, and we tried to be here in time, but I was at work,” Catt said. “I think that every vote counts, and the more people that say that it doesn’t matter, then there will be no votes. I think that if you just go ahead and take the initiative, then maybe somebody will follow in your steps.”
Lil Jon made headlines in 2014 when he flew from LA to Georgia to vote, saying officials never sent his absentee ballot. In an exclusive interview with KUNR, he explained why voting is important to him.
“I remember watching my mother go vote in the rain. My dad go vote in the rain. I took my son to vote when he turned 18,” Lil Jon said. “People died for these rights.”
One of the organizers, Ashley Spillane, director of the national nonprofit Civic Responsibility Project, said voting doesn’t have to be a drag.
“There’s a lot of heavy things happening in the world, and we know that voting is a very important, sacred thing, and also it’s okay to have fun while you do it, and just bringing a little bit of joy to not just the voters, but also the election workers,” Spillane said.
In-person early voting in Nevada takes place now through Nov. 1.
