After last Thursday’s presidential debate, Taylor Swift took to Instagram to announce to her 284 million followers that she will be voting for Kamala Harris in the upcoming election. Yes, it’s surprising.
In part, Swift stated:
“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.”
While Swift is free to endorse whomever she likes, the real question is whether her influence will sway voters. According to a new poll released by YouGov on Saturday, it seems her endorsement does have an impact—just not the one she and Kamala Harris were hoping for.
The poll revealed that while 8 percent of voters said Swift’s support made them “somewhat” or “much more likely” to vote for Harris, a notable 20 percent said her endorsement made them “somewhat” or “much less likely” to back Harris. Even more telling, 66 percent of respondents claimed Swift’s endorsement had no effect on their decision at all.
Other findings include:
- Forty-one percent of respondents, about 460 people, believe Swift should stay out of politics, while 38 percent think she should make public endorsements.
- Sixty-six percent of those polled do not consider themselves Swifties, while 28 percent are fans, and 6 percent identify as “big fans.” Most of the “big fans” were women and registered Democrats.
- Swift’s Instagram post drove 337,826 visitors to vote.gov after clicking her custom link.
Interestingly, 46 percent of respondents felt Harris won the debate, compared to 19 percent who thought Trump did. However, only 6 percent said it made them reconsider their vote, with 76 percent stating it had no influence, per YouGov’s data.
The takeaway from the poll is clear: while Swift may have a loyal fan base, they don’t seem to view her as a political authority.
