Get Out and Vote! (Haylor's Version)

 

Taylor Swift and Harry Styles edit by Gladys Lopez

Harry Styles and Taylor Swift are two of the biggest names in the music industry. They are known for their chart-topping hits, activism, and efforts to encourage people to engage in meaningful social and political issues. One such issue is the importance of voting- that is, for Democrats specifically. In October 2018, Taylor Swift officially broke her political silence when she took to Instagram to endorse Democrats Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for the House of Representatives. In her post, she stated, "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."

Instagram Post by Taylor Swift on October 7, 2018

She ended her post by encouraging young people to register to vote by visiting vote.org. The organization saw a huge spike in voter registration and found that "nearly 65,000 Americans ages 18 to 29 registered to vote in the roughly 24 hours after the singer-songwriter’s social media rallying cry." Vote.org also reported that "By noon on Tuesday, that number grew to more than 102,000 — about 70 percent of which came from voters below the age of 25." During the 2020 Presidential election, Swift tweeted her dislike of former President Trump and said, "We will vote you out in November @realdonaldtrump."

Tweet by Taylor Swift on May 29, 2020

On October 7, 2020, Swift officially endorsed Joe Biden for president through a tweet. 

Tweet by Joe Biden Quoting Taylor Swift on October 7, 2020

During the 2022 midterm elections, Swift took to Instagram once again to encourage her 240+ million followers to vote early. Swift posted in her Instagram story that “There are only 20 midnights until the 2022 United States Midterm Elections on November 8” and added, “Most states offer some type of early voting. Register to vote and find Early Voting locations in your state,” in which she provided a link to vote.org. 

Like Swift, Harry Styles has used his platform to encourage people to vote. During the 2020 Presidential election, Harry Styles encouraged his fans to Vote for Joe Biden. On October 27, 2020, Styles tweeted, "If I could vote in America, I’d vote with kindness."

Tweet by Harry Styles Quoting Joe Biden on October 27, 2020

Two years later, during the midterm elections, Styles partnered with the nonprofit HeadCount as part of the organization's “Good to Vote” campaign. The campaign enabled individuals to verify their voter registration status and register to vote by visiting the website. In certain states, they could also find out how to register to vote. By registering to vote, participants could win two tickets to the Styles' highly anticipated Halloween concert, known as "Harryween," along with airfare, accommodation, and merchandise. Thanks to the partnership, HeadCount received over 54,000 new voter registrations, which accounts for more than 25% of the organization's overall registrations in 2022, a record-breaking figure. Additionally, following the announcement of the collaboration with the artist, the organization recorded an all-time high of 28,760 new registrations in just 24 hours. In 2022, the organization also achieved its highest-ever total number of registrations in a single year. Andy Bernstein, co-founder and executive director of HeadCount, said that “Having the support of individuals like Harry Styles has a tremendous impact." Bernstein added that the partnership with Styles "is especially important for the midterms, which often receive less media attention than the presidential elections. It helps us reach more potential voters and ensure people get their voices heard." Styles was significantly politically active during 2022 as he endorsed Beto O'Rourke for governor of Texas during one of his shows. Styles put a “Beto for Texas” sticker on his guitar and pointed to do it. 

Harry Styles Endorses Beto During Concert

The pair took a picture after the show, which Beto tweeted out. 

Tweet by Beto O'Rourke on October 4, 2022

During a podcast, Beto talked about Styles' endorsement and said, “To have his support and to get that push from him, it was really just wonderful,” and added, "I am so grateful to him." 

Harry Styles and Taylor Swift understand that young people are a key demographic in elections, and they have used their influence to inspire young people to get involved. Although they encourage their fans to vote, the singers are not just putting "go out and vote" blanket statements. Instead, the singers use their social media platforms to try and influence people to vote for their desired candidate or party- Democrats. 

Image Sources:

Biden, Joe. 2020. “Taylor — Thanks for Your Support and for Speaking out at This Crucial Moment in Our Nation’s History.Election Day Is Right around the Corner — Are You Ready for It? Https://T.Co/EoxT07d7QB Https://T.Co/TLHRYSjbTx.” Twitter. October 7, 2020. https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1313966330861809671?s=20.

Garcia, Ariana. 2022. “Harry Styles Endorses Beto O’Rourke for Texas Governor at Austin Show.” Houston Chronicle, October 3, 2022. https://www.chron.com/culture/article/Harry-Styles-endorses-Beto-O-Rourke-for-Texas-17482494.php.

O’Rourke, Beto. 2022. “Thanks, Harry! Pic.twitter.com/i9y1mudyjs.” Twitter. October 5, 2022. https://twitter.com/BetoORourke/status/1577483425711276037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1577483425711276037%7Ctwgr%5E960422581ac7db31362267d2ba0cf396555fdb14%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rollingstone.com%2Fmusic%2Fmusic-news%2Fharry-styles-endorses-beto-orourke-1234604310%2F.

Styles, Harry. 2020. “If I Could Vote in America, I’d Vote with Kindness. Https://T.Co/GQ8tw3Rqpl.” Twitter. October 27, 2020. https://twitter.com/Harry_Styles/status/1321174540223795201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw.

Swift, Taylor. 2020. “After Stoking the Fires of White Supremacy and Racism Your Entire Presidency, You Have the Nerve to Feign Moral Superiority before Threatening Violence? ‘When the Looting Starts the Shooting Starts’??? We Will Vote You out in November. @realdonaldtrump.” Twitter. May 29, 2020. https://twitter.com/taylorswift13/status/1266392274549776387?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1266392274549776387%7Ctwgr%5E13f341f184dd76023ca3413180af0a597b36c6d7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.billboard.com%2Fmusic%2Fpop%2Ftaylor-swift-political-evolution-timeline-8528527%2F.

(@taylorswift), Taylor Swift. 2018. “I’m Writing This Post about the Upcoming Midterm Elections on November 6th, in Which I’ll Be Voting in the State of Tennessee. I.” Instagram. October 7, 2018. https://www.instagram.com/p/BopoXpYnCes/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link.