Taylor prime catalyst in US voter sign-ups
More than 250,000 new registrations were reported since the singer posted a message on Instagram endorsing two Democratic candidates
Pop superstar Taylor Swift’s decision to wade into electoral politics for the first time has driven a spike in US online voter registration, particularly among young people, according to the website Vote.org.
The non-profit site, which helps people register online, reported more than 250,000 new registrations since Swift posted a message on Instagram on Sunday endorsing two Democratic candidates in her home state of Tennessee and urging people to register.
By comparison, the site recorded 57,000 new registrations in all of August and 190,000 last month.
More than 60 per cent of the registrations since Sunday were among voters between 18 and 29 years old, an increase the site said was likely prompted by Swift’s post. “This is a pretty incredible, off-the-charts event,” said Raven Brooks, the chief operating officer for Vote.org.
Vote.org acknowledged it was not possible to measure the direct impact of Swift’s move, but Brooks noted the surge in young voters was in line with Swift’s youthful fan base.
Swift’s enormous reach — a best-selling album and tour as well as 112 million Instagram followers — underscores the way celebrities can leverage their online presence. Swift on Tuesday won four awards, including artist of the year, at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles and again urged fans to vote, but without declaring any party interest.