Pop star says on Instagram Story: ‘If you haven’t already, make a plan to vote today’
Taylor Swift took time out on Super Tuesday to implore her fans to vote in the 2024 primary elections.
“Today, March 5, is the presidential primary in Tennessee and 16 other states and territories. I wanted to remind you guys to vote the people who most represent YOU into power. If you haven’t already, make a plan to vote today,” Swift shared in a post on her Instagram Story.
“Whether you’re in Tennessee or somewhere else in the US, check your polling place and times at Vote.org.”
Swifties around the globe, who have been waiting with bated breath for the pop sensation to speak out during this tumultuous political cycle, had mixed responses to the post.
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“I love Taylor Swift for still encouraging people to vote especially young people, but if she can do this – she can speak on a genocide right???!” one person wrote on X.
“WOW: Taylor Swift has officially begun interfering in the 2024 election. She tells her young female fans to vote the candidate that ‘most represents you into power’,” another person wrote.
Historically, Swift has been cautious about dipping her toes into political discourse. Her most pointed involvement has included a 2018 plea to fans to vote for Democrats in a Tennessee election, against the Republican Marsha Blackburn.
She endorsed Biden in 2020 and even spoke out against the then president, Donald Trump, that same year.
Outside of these instances, as she did on Tuesday, Swift has used her platform repeatedly to tell fans to vote. Notably, voter registration soars by the tens of thousands after each of her get-out-the-vote Instagram posts.
It remains unclear if Swift will use her platform this year to do more than tell her fans to vote, but there is certainly an appetite for her to do so – and an appetite for her to keep quiet.
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In a poll conducted by the Guardian earlier this year, one Swift fan said “her stance and/or endorsement is one that I care about as much as my granddaughter does.
“I would like to hear her speak out in support of human rights for all, especially women. And to support the asylum-seeking refugees risking their lives to contribute their hard work to the US. That’s what actually makes America great.
“For me, Taylor Swift’s endorsement holds more influence than any man in DC or in the media. Why wouldn’t her opinion matter to me?”
Also this year, there have already been many rightwing conspiracy theories flourishing online that suggest Swift is a covert asset to bolster Biden and that she and her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, are a set-up to bolster Biden; allies of Trump even pledged a “holy war” against Swift if she sides with the Democrats in November.
Andrea Hailey, CEO of Vote.org, issued a statement in the wake of Swift’s message about “her continued partnership with Vote.org”.
“We hope that more leaders across our culture follow her example to encourage every eligible American to register and to vote,” Hailey said. “Celebrity engagement is just one piece of the puzzle – people need to hear from leaders big and small, icons and micro influencers, household names and others that resonate best in specific communities. By combining powerhouses like Taylor Swift with our technology and culturally competent outreach, Vote.org makes sure we are always finding a way to reach voters with reliable, nonpartisan information coming from voices they trust.”
