Taylor Swift during one of her ‘Eras Tour’  performances. Photo Courtesy: Gregor Fisher / Rolling Stone

Ahead of the upcoming presidential election, pop star Taylor Swift publicly announced that she will be voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.

On Tuesday, Sept. 10, Swift made her political stance clear after the first presidential debate between former president Donald Trump and Vice President Harris. Based on Swift’s extreme influence on society and her massive following, many people understand the pros and cons of her endorsement. 

“I think, in terms of celebrities talking about politics or endorsing certain politicians, I see both perspectives,” said Grace Curtis, a senior anthropology major. “I see how it can be dangerous, [based on] potential biases. But I also think, given our climate, we need everyone to get out and vote [as soon] as possible.”

Gabriela Padin, a junior anthropology major, shared a similar sentiment on Swift’s influence.

“I think celebrities like Taylor Swift can have such a huge impact on big, influential events, and that’s not a bad thing,” Padin said. “I just think people like her should use their voices to empower other groups and movements as well.”

JJ Vogt, a senior criminology and film studies and production major, does not think that “the issue is with celebrities.” Voters themselves need to sway from believing public figures and conduct their own research. 

“I think celebrities are just as entitled to an opinion as any of us,” said Vogt. “I think the problem comes with so many Americans being uninformed about politics that they’ll just happily go along with whatever a celebrity says.”

The extent to celebrity influence has been a common topic of debate amongst the public, specifically regarding how much of a mixed impact it can have. It’s a common topic of discussion in educational realms as well.

Dr. Alan J. Singer, professor of education at Hofstra University, thinks Swift’s decision to endorse the Harris-Walz ticket will not have too much of an impact on this year’s election.

“I would say that normally it has very little impact,” Singer said. “[P]eople are going to vote for who they’re going to vote for. This, however, is a very unusual election because a lot of people perceive Donald Trump as a threat to the future of our country.”

“Over Taylor Swift, her following is kind of unusual,” said Singer. “On one hand, her following is mainstream America, so she may have some influence on swing states. But on the other hand, a lot of her following are pre-teen girls who don’t vote.”

In addition, Singer also thinks that “there are so many other issues that people are concerned about” where the political views of a celebrity is not the “key question.” 

Taylor Swift’s impact may not lie in swaying voters in a particular direction, but her endorsement did drive a record 405,000 people to voter registration websites, according to Reuters. 

In regards to this controversial election, the voting population has become more aware of the importance of voting and encouraging others to do the same. With an election this close in polling, every vote counts. 

“I think just because [Taylor] endorses [Kamala] doesn’t mean it’s necessarily meant to be an influential thing on her fans,” Curtis said. “It’s more ‘get out and vote,’ which I think, given the current circumstances, it’s important to get out and vote this year.”