SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new, national QuestionPro survey of 925 self-identified Taylor Swift fans (Swifties) who are registered voters finds that her endorsement of either presidential candidate would cause a substantial percentage of her fans to change their vote. Depending on who she endorses, and where her fans reside, it could be enough to sway the national election.
The respondent pool was comprised of 26 percent Independents, 29 percent Republicans and 44 percent Democrats split evenly across age, income and education levels, with 65 percent of respondents identifying as women, 34 percent as men and 1 percent as transgender, non-binary or non-specified. Nearly 50 percent (47 percent) of respondents plan to vote for Harris/Walz and nearly a third (31 percent) plan to vote for Trump/Vance. About 22 percent say they will vote for someone else.
More than 50 percent (51) of respondents say that Taylor Swift’s endorsement of a presidential candidate would influence their vote, with 25 percent saying it would “significantly” influence their vote, while about 40 percent (37) say it wouldn’t.
And if she does endorse a ticket, a significant percentage of both Democrat and Republican respondents say they would change their vote. About 30 percent of both Trump and Harris voters say they would change their vote if Swift endorsed a candidate other than the one they’re currently planning to vote for.
A Swift endorsement could be the difference maker in the election given the sheer number of people in the U.S. who are Swift fans. According to a 2023 survey by Morning Consult, 53 percent of US adults said they were fans, 44 percent of whom identified as Swifties and 16 percent as her "avid" fans.
“With 161 million registered voters in the US, our data suggests that a Swift endorsement could be the ballgame in this election,” said Dan Fleetwood, President of Research and Insights for QuestionPro, the survey provider. “If her endorsement can switch the vote of 30 percent or more of her fans, Taylor Swift could very much mean the difference between a Democrat or a Republican victory.”
These findings augment a new Harvard University Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation study that noted: “While some polling shows that people claim they aren’t influenced by celebrity voices when it comes to politics, more rigorous evidence indicates that these voices are incredibly powerful.”
Swift could fill the void left by the decreasing numbers of newspapers that endorse candidates. According to the University of California at Santa Barbara, newspaper endorsements have been cut nearly in half at large, national newspapers. The study found that while 92 of the country’s largest newspapers endorsed a candidate in 2008, only 54 percent did in 2020.
The online survey was conducted on August 15th, 2024, by the QuestionPro Market Research Services Team. A total of 925 respondents completed this survey. These respondents self identified as Taylor Swift fans and registered US voters, all over the age of 18 years old. This sample is weighted by being a Taylor Swift fan and a registered voter. Each respondent has been double verified and their contact information is securely stored on file with QuestionPro, the study has a margin of error of +/- 3% at a 95% confidence level.
Full survey results are available here: https://questionpro.com/t/7BrlUyZ3pCs
About QuestionPro:
Founded in 2006, QuestionPro is a global provider of online survey and research services that help companies make better decisions through data. Our fully integrated online platform includes surveys, research & insights, customer experience (CX) and workforce/employee experience software. We additionally offer polling, journey mapping, employee 360s, and data visualization. Our clientele ranges from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies, who rely on us for insights about customers, employees, and the marketplace. With offices in the US, Canada, Mexico, U.K., Germany, Japan, Australia, the United Arab Emirates and India, we offer customers 24-7 access to highly trained support specialists and engineers. More information is available at www.questionpro.com.
