Pop star Taylor Swift’s Instagram post encouraging voter registration inspired a record-breaking number of people to register to vote, according to Vote.org. Swift’s post, which included a link to Vote.org and urged her followers to register, resulted in 35,252 people registering to vote and 157,041 eligible voters visiting the site on National Voter Registration Day. These numbers represented a 22.5% increase in total registrations and a 115% increase among 18-year-olds compared to the previous year.
Andrea Hailey, CEO of Vote.org, called these numbers “record-breaking” and noted a significant spike in participation on the site immediately following Taylor Swift’s post.
Taylor Swift, who had previously been private about her political beliefs, openly began supporting Democratic candidates in 2018 after facing public pressure to take a stance. In a social media post ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, she explained her change in approach, stating her commitment to fighting for human rights, LGBTQ rights, and against systemic racism.
Swift continued her political engagement by endorsing Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. Her influence on voter registration and her ability to mobilize her large following have made her a notable figure in American politics.