Taylor Swift urges voters to the polls ahead of Super Tuesday

4 hours ago
Taylor Swift during her Eras tour
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
Pop superstar Taylor Swift has urged people to head to the polls, as voters across the US prepare to vote in the Super Tuesday primary elections.

Sixteen states will cast their ballots to pick the Republican and Democratic nominees for president.

In a post to Instagram, the singer urged her 282 million followers to “make a plan to vote today”.

Swift, who backed President Joe Biden in 2020, has yet to endorse any candidate for November’s poll.

She maintained her silence on that front on Tuesday, instead directing voters to check where their local polling station would be.

“I wanted to remind you guys to vote the people who most represent YOU into power. If you haven’t already, make a plan to vote today,” she wrote. “Whether you’re in Tennessee or somewhere else in the US, check your polling places and times at vote.org.”

The multiple Grammy winner has a social media following which dwarfs that of Mr Biden and his presumptive challenger, former President Donald Trump. Her approval among US adults also outshines the men, with 40% of registered voters saying they had a positive view of the singer.

When asked about efforts to secure Swift’s backing by late-night host Seth Myers last week, Mr Biden joked: “That’s classified.”

But the White House is believed to be heavily courting her endorsement, hoping that it could prompt millions of younger voters to back Mr Biden’s re-election bid. US media reported earlier this year that Swift was the Biden campaign’s “biggest and most influential endorsement target”.

In September, California Gov Gavin Newsom – a key ally to Mr Biden – urged Swift to become more involved with the president’s campaign.

“Taylor Swift stands tall and unique,” he told reporters after a Republican debate. “What she was able to accomplish just in getting young people activated to consider that they have a voice and that they should have a choice in the next election, I think, is profoundly powerful.”

Once the target of criticism for her seemingly apolitical stance, in recent years Swift has become more vocal in the political arena.

She has been particularly outspoken in her criticism of Mr Trump. In May 2020, she accused him of “stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency”, adding “we will vote you out in November”.