What impact will Taylor Swift have on the US election?

Noel Drake, 29, who lives in Utah, said she felt “very bleak” about politics before this year.

During the 2020 presidential election, she felt completely disillusioned.

But Taylor Swift and her fans helped change her mind, she told me.

“With the sense of community I’ve built through interacting with other Swifties online, it’s really changed the way I interact with politics during this election cycle,” she said.

After Swift endorsed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris a month ago, Ms. Drake began following a fan-led campaign group called Swift for Kamala. to the Harris campaign but remains in regular contact with campaign staff.

Since interacting with other like-minded Swifties, Ms Drake has decided to become more involved in local campaigns in her home state.

The BBC tracked down dozens of voters like Ms. Drake who said social media posts by Swift and her biggest fans inspired them to get out to vote or get involved in activism. But I’ve learned that just because you’re a Swift fan doesn’t mean you’ll vote like her.

Watch the latest episode of BBC Radio 4 Why do you hate me America?I’ve been investigating how one popular meme enthusiast, Erin King (co-founder of Swifties for Kamala), found herself transitioning from superfan to political strategist. Do the tactics she and her fellow activists use really work?

Over the past month, I’ve given several accounts that liked and commented on Swifties for Kamala’s posts.

While some are already Democratic supporters, others are less sure.

Take Destiny, 27, of South Carolina, who declined to give her last name. She said she and her boyfriend “neither are that political,” but the Swifties of Kamala’s posts helped bolster her case for voting Democratic this election.

“I really want a female president who has similar values ​​to me. This is my first election and it makes me vote for that reason,” she said.

Even her boyfriend, whom she describes as “moderately conservative,” was persuaded to vote for Harris, which she said was inspired in part by her lobbying based on some of Kamala’s Swift posts.

Part of the appeal of political content generated by celebrity endorsements and their fan bases is that, unlike paid advertising, this user-generated content feels authentic.

A study from Harvard’s Kennedy School examined the influence of celebrities on voter registration and found that their “authenticity” may be the key to motivating people to get out and vote.

Ashley Spillane, the report’s author, told the BBC that celebrities are “the most advantaged members of society” when it comes to addressing the causes of voter apathy, such as “a lack of information, a lack of trust and a lack of motivation” .

“People know them from outside of politics, which makes their participation feel deeper and less selfish,” she said. Within 24 hours of Swift endorsing Harris on Instagram, nearly 340,000 people used her The custom link visited the registration website vote.gov.

While Harris has been endorsed by Swift, Beyoncé and a number of other big-name celebrities, Trump is not without his fans. Endorsements from Kid Rock, Musk, John Voight and YouTubers Nelk Boys may help him reach young men, just as Swift’s endorsement boosted Harris’ profile among young women. Trump’s own loyal online base operates a bit like a fandom.

Polls suggest, however, that support may be counterproductive. A late September Quinnipiac University poll found that Swift’s endorsement of Harris made 9% of respondents “more enthusiastic” about her candidacy, while 13% were “less enthusiastic” ”. It also looked at how Musk’s endorsement affected respondents’ views of Trump – with 13% feeling more enthusiastic and 21% feeling less enthusiastic. Ultimately, we won’t know exactly what impact celebrities and their fans will have on this election until after November.

In what appears to be a very competitive election, it’s these groups of online supporters that can motivate voters to head to the polls — especially in battleground states where the winner may be decided by just a few thousand votes.

Ms. Kim, co-founder of Kamala Swifties, told me that the organization specifically targets people in swing states.

Peggy Rowe is in Arizona, one of the most closely watched states in the election. She told me that Harris’ support for abortion rights bolstered her support for the vice president.

“I’m very passionate about reproductive rights, and social media further validates my views,” she said.

While they employ all the traditional political campaign methods, Swifties for Kamala adds a fan-specific twist to their efforts. Whenever they attend an event, they are given friendship bracelets emblazoned with political slogans such as “In My Voting Day.” It’s a tribute to Swift’s Eras tour, and fans have been exchanging Swift-themed friendship bracelets as a sign of true fandom.

Ms. King said they began face-to-face campaigning weeks ago and made direct calls and text messages to followers. Their goal is to reach a total of 22 million voters directly before Election Day.

She estimated that the group Swifties for Kamala had raised more than $200,000 (£153,000) for Harris’ campaign as of mid-October.

However, there are some Swift fans who are not affected. I found comments from several Republicans and Trump supporters who chose their favorite politicians over their favorite pop stars, and sent them dozens of messages.

Bree, who lives in Massachusetts, said she still chooses to vote Republican because “ultimately people need to do what’s best for them.”

She told me she thought Swift, with such a loyal fan base, should stay away from politics to be fair to all parties.

Taylor Swift is “entitled to her opinion,” she says, but:

“She’s the only celebrity with such clout that she shouldn’t be mentioning politics in an election year.”

Although he didn’t get her endorsement, Donald Trump’s supporters did try to capitalize on Swift’s fan power, creating an AI-generated meme of Swift endorsing the former president. In fact, it was Trump sharing the meme on social media that prompted Swift to endorse Harris in the first place.

Bri said she would “never dislike someone because of their political beliefs,” including fans of Swifties for Kamala. But that doesn’t mean all online conversations are friendly.

Ms. King told me that for Swift fans, getting into heated online arguments is something of a “rite of passage.” But the “Kamala’s Swift” campaign now has guidelines in place to prevent that from happening, in part because they hope to win over voters who don’t share their views.

“I think it’s always good to try to bridge the gap,” she said.

Fandom: Who’s afraid of us little old guys? Listen now on BBC Sounds