Taylor Swift’s first major political statement may have led tens of thousands of people to register to vote.
According to Vote.org, a website that uses technology to increase voter turnout, there has been a significant increase in voter registrations across the county.
"We are up to 65,000 registrations in a single 24-hour period since T. Swift's post," Kamari Guthrie, director of communications for Vote.org, told BuzzFeed News.
Swift, who has been quiet when it comes to direct political commentary for most of her career, posted on Instagram Sunday about the midterm elections.
"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," Swift wrote to her 112 million followers. "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.”
Swift also voiced support for Democrats Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper, who are running for Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively. Swift, who is based in Nashville, Tennessee, closed her post by urging followers to register to vote, reminding them that the last day to register in Tennessee is Tuesday, Oct. 9.
“Vote.org saw (Tennessee) registrations spike specifically since Taylor’s post,” Gunthrie said, adding that at least 2,144 of 5,183 state registrations were in the last 36 hours.
“Thank God for Taylor Swift,” she said.
Credit: Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP, File
Credit: Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP, File
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