Did Taylor Swift’s Instagram Post Create a Surge In Voter Registrations?
On Sunday, October 7th, Taylor Swift came out of the woods and finally added her voice to the ever-present political melting pot of today’s society. Receiving criticism previously for being “reluctant” to weigh in on political matters, Swift endorsed Phil Bredesen, Tennessee senatorial candidate, and Jim Cooper, who is running for the Tennessee House of Representatives, both notorious Democrats.
In a post to Instagram, the singer gave the world a peek into her political values, stating that she “believe[s] in the fight for LGBTQ rights...that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG [, and] that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent.” Swift went on to bash Phil Bredesen’s rival, Marsha Blackburn, stating that although she has historically supported and encouraged women running for office, she cannot vote for Blackburn, as the politician’s political voting record “terrifies and appalls [her].” This record includes a vote against equal pay for women and the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which strives to prohibit stalking, date rape, and domestic violence. Additionally, Blackburn believes that businesses have a right to refuse service to gay couples and that they should not have the right to marry. These views directly contradict Taylor Swift’s “Tennessee values,” and while she acknowledges that “we may never find a candidate or party with whom we agree 100% on every issue,” Swift declares that “we have to vote anyway.”
The multi-award winning star concludes her social media post with a request of her followers: “Please, please educate yourself on the candidates running in your state and vote based on who most closely represents your values.” It seems that Swift’s 112 million followers have taken her message to heart. Vote.org, a nonpartisan group providing easy access to voting registration, garnered much more traffic in the aftermath of Swift’s activism. With a usual daily average of 14,078 visitors, the website traced 155,940 visitors in the 24 hours following her post. In Tennessee, Swift’s home state, they traced 2,144 new voter registrations just 36 hours after the singer’s post.
Kamari Guthrie, spokeswoman for the website, explains that “Taylor’s post has helped bring out young voters. . . . We’re especially happy to see that because we know voting is habit-forming; statistically, a young person who votes in 2018 is 55 percent more likely to vote again in 2020.” There’s no sign of an end to Swift’s political activism, and although she has been “reluctant to publicly voice [her] political opinions,” she states that many events in her life and in the world have caused her to “feel very differently about that now.
By Rose Sanders
I’m writing this post about the upcoming midterm elections on November 6th, in which I’ll be voting in the state of Tennessee. In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now. I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country. I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent.
I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender or who they love. Running for Senate in the state of Tennessee is a woman named Marsha Blackburn. As much as I have in the past and would like to continue voting for women in office, I cannot support Marsha Blackburn. Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me. She voted against equal pay for women. She voted against the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which attempts to protect women from domestic violence, stalking, and date rape. She believes businesses have a right to refuse service to gay couples. She also believes they should not have the right to marry. These are not MY Tennessee values. I will be voting for Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives. Please, please educate yourself on the candidates running in your state and vote based on who most closely represents your values. For a lot of us, we may never find a candidate or party with whom we agree 100% on every issue, but we have to vote anyway.
So many intelligent, thoughtful, self-possessed people have turned 18 in the past two years and now have the right and privilege to make their vote count. But first you need to register, which is quick and easy to do. October 9th is the LAST DAY to register to vote in the state of TN. Go to vote.org and you can find all the info. Happy Voting! 🗳😃🌈