Marianne Spring
Correspondent for disinformation and social media

Noel Drake, a 29-year-old who lives in Utah, said she felt “very down” about politics before this year.

During the 2020 presidential election, she felt completely disillusioned.

But Taylor Swift – and her fans – helped her change her mind, she told me.

“With this sense of community that I’ve built through communicating with other Swifties online, it’s really changed the way I interact with politics during this election cycle,” she said.

After Swift endorsed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris a month ago, Drake began following a fan-led campaign group called “Swifties for Kamala.” The group is not officially affiliated with the Harris campaign, but maintains regular contact with campaign staff.

The BBC has tracked down dozens of voters like Drake, who say messages from Swift and her mega-fans on social media have motivated them to vote or get involved in activism. But just because you’re a fan of Swift doesn’t mean you’ll vote like herI have learned.

Part of the appeal of celebrity endorsements — and the political content generated by their fandoms — is that, unlike paid advertising, this kind of user-generated content feels authentic.

Recommendations can be counterproductiveHowever, polls show.

Native of Massachusetts Bri says she chooses to vote Republican still because “ultimately people should do what is best for them”.

She told me she thinks Swift has such a dedicated fan base, she should stay out of politics to be fair to all parties.