Taylor Swift’s Impact: Voter Registrations Surge After Singer’s Call to Action

Pop sensation Taylor Swift’s political influence has been closely monitored by observers, eagerly anticipating any indication of whether she will once again endorse President Joe Biden as he campaigns for a second term in the White House.

Swift’s political inclinations have been a subject of curiosity for years. The “Shake It Off” singer largely avoided discussing politics until 2018, when she publicly backed Democratic Senate candidate Phil Bredesen in Tennessee. She has also expressed support for LGBTQ+ rights and abortion access.

In the 2020 presidential race, Swift threw her support behind Democrat Joe Biden, further solidifying her stance. Throughout Donald Trump’s presidency, she openly criticized the Republican leader. With Trump and Biden set to go head-to-head in November’s election, Swift’s potential endorsement carries weight.

While it’s not unusual for celebrities to engage in politics, Swift’s notable influence has sparked considerable discussion. On September 19, National Voter Registration Day, the singer utilized her Instagram platform to encourage fans to register on the nonpartisan, nonprofit website Vote.org. This call to action resulted in a significant surge of over 35,000 registrations, marking a nearly 25 percent increase compared to the same day the previous year.

Andrea Hailey, CEO of Vote.org, lauded this single-day spike in registrations as a “highly encouraging sign of voter enthusiasm,” especially with a remarkable 115 percent rise over 2022 in newly eligible 18-year-olds registering to vote.

A previous poll conducted for Newsweek by Redfield & Wilton Strategies shed light on the potential impact of Swift’s endorsements. According to the findings, 18 percent of voters indicated that they would be “more likely” or “significantly more likely” to support a candidate backed by Swift. 

Conversely, 17 percent stated they would be less inclined to vote for a Swift-endorsed candidate, while 55 percent reported that her endorsement would not sway their decision. Among the respondents, 45 percent identified as fans of Swift, with 54 percent stating they were not. Only 6 percent claimed to be unfamiliar with the singer.