Swift's Instagram endorsement of Kamala Harris for president went global. Swift encouraged followers to register to vote.
Swift's support for Harris and voter registration may not have as much influence as hoped. However, Harris and the Democratic Party need all the help they can get with young voters and voter registration.
First, Swift's post is known. As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, Swift's Instagram sent over 330,000 individuals to Vote.gov, according to the General Services Administration.
A Washington remark analysis of Google statistics showed a surge in voter registration queries after Swift's remark.
When Swift urged people to register to vote in 2023, registrations increased. Voter registrations rose 23% that day compared to last year. National voter registrations totaled 35,252.
No big numbers here. Assume all Swift Vote.gov clickers have registered to vote. That would be 0.2% of 2020 voter turnout. Naturally, only a portion of people who clicked the link will register and attend.
Registered Republicans have been reducing the gap with Democrats in some crucial states for years, which could lead to a Swift bounce.
Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, battlegrounds that allow party registration, have the latest voter registration data from government officials.
Since September 2020, Republicans have gained more than 60,000 active voters in Nevada and almost 400,000 in Pennsylvania, widening the edge in Arizona and closing the gap with Democrats in other states.
Swift benefits Harris and Democrats, even if only somewhat. National and battleground state polls are tied in this election. Adding a few Democrats and Harris voters may be enough.