The Taylor Swift effect has taken hold of politics. After announcing her endorsement of Kamala Harris for president after the Tuesday (Sept. 10) presidential debate, Swift then shared a link to Vote.gov in an Instagram story.
A spokesperson for the U.S. General Services Commission, an independent U.S. government agency that supports various other federal agencies, confirmed to Billboard that as of 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday (Sept. 11) — 15 hours after Swift’s post — 337,826 visitors were referred to Vote.gov from the custom URL created and shared by the pop star.
Vote.gov directs voters to their state election websites for state-specific voting information. Voters must then register to vote directly with their state. The site uses data analytic tools to monitor referrals to the site, including referrals from custom links like the one used by Swift.
In a post shared with her 238 million followers after the end of the first debate between Vice President Harris and former President Donald Trump, Swift expressed her admiration for Harris, calling her a “steady-handed, gifted leader” and a “warrior” for causes she holds dear, such as LGBTQ+ rights and women’s reproductive freedoms.
“Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight,” the post also read. “If you haven’t already, now is a great time to do your research on the issues at hand and the stances these candidates take on the topics that matter to you the most. As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies and plans for this country.”
The Harris campaign quickly capitalized on Swift’s endorsement, putting Harris-Walz friendship bracelets up for sale in its online store after the endorsement. (These bracelets subsequently sold out.) This style of bracelet has become a staple in Swiftie culture since the beginning of The Eras Tour.
During an interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, Democratic vice presidential candidate Walz said, “I am incredibly grateful, first of all, to Taylor Swift. That was eloquent, and that’s the type of courage we need in America to stand up.”
