Will Taylor Swift’s endorsement help Kamala win the presidency? Here’s what experts say

Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, the Democratic candidates for president and vice president of the United States, shortly after the end of possibly the only presidential debate between Donald Trump and the vice president.

The singer, who was named TIME magazine's Person of the Year last year, was under pressure for weeks to share her political stance and endorse either nomination.

Although the “Cruel Summer” singer endorsed the nomination of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in 2020, speculations arose she might avoid endorsing the vice president this year, since some among her circle of friends have been associated with Trump.

Swift was questioned by users on social media and some media outlets, such as Variety, for not using her platform to support Harris. Others criticized her for not denying her support for Trump after images about it circulated on social media. She has also been slammed for her closeness to Brittany Mahomes, wife of Patrick Mahomes, whom the Republican candidate thanked for her support.

READ ALSO: Proud Boys seen marching in Springfield, Ohio

Why was Taylor Swift late in announcing her endorsement of a presidential candidate?

On her Instagram account, where she has 284 million followers, Swift wrote a reflection on this electoral process. The singer explained that as a voter, she took time to see and read about the policies and plans that the candidates propose for the country. She also addressed the controversy over images of her supporting Trump’s candidacy.

“Recently I was made aware that AI of ‘me’ falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run was posted to his site. It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation. It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth,” she posted.

Swift went on to announce she will be voting for Harris and Walz in the presidential election in November, and proceeded to explain why:

“I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos. I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.”

Such a move by the star sparked a mostly positive reaction from Democrats, and a negative one from Republicans, including Trump, who posted “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT” on his social media platform Truth Social.

Considering that Swift has more than 400 million followers across all her social networks and has a wide platform, can she really influence this election?

Will Taylor Swift’s endorsement help Kamala win the presidency? Here’s what experts say

Experts point out that Swift’s endorsement has had an immediate impact on this electoral process in terms of voter registration.

In an Instagram story, Swift shared a link to the vote.gov site, which redirects to state election sites for citizens to register to vote. During the 24-hour period in which the Instagram story was active, the site received a total of 405,999 visitors, a spokesman for the General Services Administration told Reuters.

Of those visits, it’s not known how many people clicked through to a state election site to register to vote. However, voter registration increased by 400 to 500% in the two days since the singer’s announcement, TargetSmart senior adviser Tom Bonier told CBS News.

Bonier told the outlet that those numbers are due in part to what has been dubbed the “Swift effect” after the star endorsed Harris and Walz.

“It’s really unlike anything I’ve seen. We’re seeing a [400 or 500%] increase. And people are coming, trying to register to vote immediately after the debate and in that period after Taylor Swift posted on Instagram,” Bonier said.

Taylor Swift could sway undecided voters

On the role Swift could play in a possible Kamala Harris victory, Dr. Julia Palacios, an academic, researcher and specialist in entertainment history and popular culture, told AS USA Latino that the singer's moves around the election could influence undecided young voters.

“It shows us that many people who might be undecided and had not registered are registering to vote for Kamala Harris,” says the specialist.

Palacios also pointed out that another scenario that could further help the Democratic campaign is a possible endorsement of Harris by Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs player and Taylor Swift’s boyfriend. The academic also explains that the singer’s stance has been a blow to Republicans, but that Kelce’s role could be crucial for male voters.

READ ALSO: Martha Stewart quietly endorses presidential candidate

“That means that a number of young, white, conservative voters could change their vote,” the academic points out. “Taylor is already making a difference, but if you add Travis Kelce, they will both make a bigger difference, like what they are doing in the NFL”, she adds.

According to usa.gov, all states except North Dakota require people to register to vote. Depending on what state you’re in, the deadline could be up to a month before an election. The presidential vote is scheduled for Tuesday, November 5.

The deadline to register to vote can be found by selecting your state at vote.gov. You can also check with your local election office for more information.