Fans talk Taylor Swift's political influence with Election Day around the corner
INDIANAPOLIS — The final U.S. leg of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour wrapped just two days before Election Day, and it drew fans from all over the country.
As thousands of them ventured inside Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday, a few discussed politics and whether the superstar influenced their opinions this presidential election.
Swift herself didn't make any political statements during the show — not even ones encoded in Easter eggs as fans suspect she did back in July when President Joe Biden ended his campaign and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for president.
Swift did make an unambiguous endorsement following the presidential debate on Sept. 10 when she posted her support for Harris over former President Donald Trump on social media.
"I'm voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos. I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades," she wrote in part.
What do Swifties say about her political impact?
Swift first spoke out politically in 2018 when she weighed in on Tennessee's Senate race that year. In her 2020 documentary "Miss Americana," she spoke out against Trump and debuted her song "Only the Young, which highlights the youth vote and fresh-faced candidates, exclaiming, "Only one thing can save us, only the young can run."
"I think one of the great things is that she encourages people to vote and do their own research," says Shelby Harrison, 21, who resides in Marion, a rural farm town in Indiana.
The Swiftie dressed in a "Tortured Poets"-themed white dress adds 2024 is her first election and although the superstar did not affect who she is voting for, Swift did impact Harrison being able to vote in her hometown.
"I've been in Orlando on an internship," she says. "I was trying to figure out absentee voting. Then when I got tickets to the concert, I realized I didn't have to figure it out. I will be able to vote in-person tomorrow."
Dressed in a "Lover" outfit with a large pink heart on her chest was Sierra Dain, another first-time presidential voter. The Mizzou student got tickets to the show back in August and drove up to the stadium for the final U.S. show. Missouri may be a swing state, but so is Dain's home of Arizona.
"I really love when celebrities align with my values, and I know during 'Lover' era she did a lot for politics and was very vocal about how she felt about things," Dain, 18, says. "Especially people my age that maybe haven't voted before and are too nervous to vote, I think a lot of people look up to her for inspiration."
Steve Mertz was walking with his wife, Ashley, in a blue shirt that read, "Lebowski 2024, This Aggression Will Not Stand, Man." The clothing is a nod to Jeff Bridges' character in the 1998 film "The Big Lebowski."
"Instead of picking the lesser of two evils, that would be my write-in," the dad says, laughing. "Taylor does not support my candidate. ... I don't care who people vote for. I have my thoughts and opinions. Just vote, you know."
"And do your research," Ashley adds, "and don't just support someone because someone else is. Do it because that's what you want to do and what you believe in."
To a Swiftie, a "vote for me for everything" pin on T.J. Canevari's white cardigan might seem like an innocuous inside joke. Swift wore the same pin in the "Anti-Hero" music video. In this case, the Pennsylvanian says there's a double meaning.
"The timing is why I have it on," he says, smiling. The 23-year-old drove eight and a half hours from northern Pennsylvania. "I'm really glad that Taylor spoke out and said what she believes in. And also, I'm really glad that she's making a lot of young people register to vote and go out there to the polls."
Two days to Tuesday
Following her Sept. 10 endorsement, the Swift effect drove more than 400,000 people to visit Vote.org. Indiana witnessed a bump in registrations promptly following her social media post. Marion County election officials stretched hours until 10 p.m. all three nights of the concert at a downtown Indy polling station.
"We'd love to have anyone who is downtown (and eligible) to come vote," said Dan Goldblatt, director of policy and communication at the Marion County Clerk's Office, in an email to the Indy Star.
On Monday night, both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will hold political rallies in Pittsburgh on the eve of the election. Some Swifties wonder if the singer will make an appearance.
"We'll see," Canevari says. "You never know with Taylor."
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