Recent studies show correlation between voter-registration numbers and celebrity influence, but how far does this influence reach?

Celebrities’ Role in this Election

With Election Day nearing, the presidential race is on the minds of many. Especially since social media is now a crucial part of campaigning for presidential candidates, voters are consuming more information than ever before about the election. 

In addition to the posts put out by presidential candidates, voters are also witnessing their favorite celebrities speak on the election by either endorsing one candidate over the other, or simply encouraging their fans to vote. Numerous pop stars such as Olivia Rodrigo, Kesha and Billie Eilish have made statements in support of Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris, while other musicians such as Kid Rock, Amber Rose and Azealia Banks have shown their support for Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump. 

It was Taylor Swift’s endorsement of the Harris-Walz ticket that grabbed the attention of media outlets and voters alike. One day before Swift announced her plans to vote for Harris and Walz in an Instagram post, Variety published an article titled, “If Taylor Swift Doesn’t Endorse Kamala Harris, She’d Be Entering a New Era.” With Swift’s history of political endorsement — like endorsing Democratic candidates in her conservative home state of Tennessee, and publicly supporting Joe Biden in 2020 — her impending endorsement of Kamala Harris was expected.

On September 10, 2024 — the day of the first presidential debate — Swift wrote her endorsement of Kamala Harris to her 208 million Instagram followers. CBS News reported that the link on Swift’s story led 405,999 visitors to vote.gov in 24 hours, while in the weeks leading up to Swift’s endorsement, the website was averaging only 30,000 visits per day. 

This massive increase in engagement with vote.gov, a website that instructs people how to register to vote in their state, raises the question, how much influence do celebrities have within the realm of politics? What are celebrities’ roles in politics?

What Experts Think

A study conducted by scholars at Harvard University found that there is a correlation between celebrities’ endorsements of candidates and voter-registration numbers. Additionally, they found that influencers’ brands are strengthened when they use their platform to encourage people to vote. 

The researchers’ final conclusion was, “Voters respond better to authentic messaging from influencers that conveys personal passion and doesn’t require a high production value.” They found that it was important that the endorsement seemed authentic, as the term “performative activism” has been regarded by Gen Z with an attitude of distaste. 

Dr. Paul Booth — professor of media and pop culture at DePaul University — offered his thoughts on the use of social media by celebrities to encourage people to vote or endorse a certain candidate. Booth used Taylor Swift’s endorsement for Harris as an example. He said, “Swift’s Instagram post touting her support for Harris, for example, rallied hundreds of thousands of voters to register — although whether they actually vote remains to be seen.”

Booth also commented on how social media has acted as a way to humanize celebrities and make their endorsements seem more personal — and according to the Harvard study, an authentic message that conveys “personal passion” is more likely to persuade voters. 

In his discussion of celebrities’ influence on the election, Booth emphasized the relationship between the credibility of a celebrity and the potential impact of their words. He said: “The credibility of a celebrity is crucial to their influence. A mismatch between their personal actions and political messages can backfire, leading to public distrust.”

Booth spoke to pop culture and politics as separate entities and highlighted how the two are becoming increasingly intertwined — the line between celebrity and politician are starting to blur — and this could pose a threat to how seriously voters take politics. 

“Pop culture and politics have become increasingly intertwined — look at how the Obamas are both major political players but also celebrities in their own right. And look at how Trump was a celebrity but is now a politician,” Booth said. “The lines are blurry, which causes all sorts of problems. We expect celebrities to entertain us – and the more we think that politicians should be ‘entertaining,’ the less likely we are to take politics seriously.”

What Young Voters Think

Young voters are in the limelight this election. In the 2020 election, voters under 30 played a decisive role, and in this election their vote is projected to matter even more. In a recent opinion poll by YouGov, 55% of young voters said they would vote for Harris, while 39% said they would vote for Trump. Harris is relying on young voters to vote in this election.

Grace Kobernik, 20 — a sophomore at DePaul studying sociology — shared her thoughts on celebrities’ influence on voters and how social media plays a role in this election. Grace said that her political beliefs “lean more progressive than liberal.”

When asked if she thinks that celebrities’ endorsements sway young voters, Kobernik shared, “I wish celebrity endorsements did not affect young people’s voting choices, but I think we have seen that they do.”

Though Kobernik believes that celebrities do have the power to influence some voters, she made a point to mention the importance of authenticity in a celebrity’s activist efforts. Kobernik pointed out a new standard that fans are holding celebrities to.

“I do not read the majority of the ‘activism’ celebrities and influencers partake in online as genuine … the underlying problem is that these public figures fear this imagined ‘cancellation’ if they are not social-justice leaders,” Kobernik said. 

Kobernik’s claim supports the findings of the Harvard study — that authenticity matters above all for celebrity endorsements to be effective. “If your activism is transactional or preventative,” she said, “it is in no way genuine.”

Ella Santi, 20 — a junior at DePaul University studying women’s and gender studies — offered their take on celebrity endorsements in elections. Ella shared that they are registered as a Democrat, but lean far more left than much of the Democratic party. 

When asked about the impact of celebrity endorsements, Santi responded, “I think that celebrity endorsements often encourage young people to vote at all. I’m not sure a celebrity endorsement would convince someone to change their vote.” 

Santi also commented on the authenticity of influencer endorsements and said that a celebrity endorsement would more influence their opinion of the celebrity rather than the politician. 

Contrary to what some may think, Santi believes that older voters are more impacted by celebrity endorsements of politicians. They said, “I think older generations tend to be more trusting of celebrities, and have a higher likelihood of being a fan of a celebrity whose political views don’t align with theirs.” They also expressed that young voters may be less likely to follow celebrities whose politics don’t align with theirs, thus making them less susceptible to being influenced toward a viewpoint differing from their own. 

So what is celebrities’ role in politics? There is not conducive evidence for celebrity endorsement swaying a person’s vote from one candidate to another, but the study conducted by Harvard supports that there is a correlation between voter-registration numbers and authentic celebrity messaging. The increasingly blurring lines between the role of influencers and politicians may change the nature of our political landscape.

To find more information on voter registration and how to vote in your county, look here.

Header by Alexis Phelps