In a surprising turn of events, 25-year-old pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter has emerged as the artist who helped register the most new voters for the 2024 US presidential election. Working alongside voter registration organization HeadCount, Carpenter's efforts have made a significant impact on youth engagement in the political process.
According to HeadCount, Carpenter's campaign resulted in an impressive 35,814 new voter registrations. Additionally, her initiatives engaged 263,087 voters in other ways, such as verifying registration status or locating polling stations. The "Please Please Please" singer achieved these remarkable numbers through a combination of giveaways, in-person events during her Short n' Sweet tour, video board promotions, and direct mail campaigns.
HeadCount's Executive Director, Lucille Wenegieme, praised Carpenter's contribution, stating, "Our model works because musicians and celebrities have a cultural cache and an intimate connection with their fans, especially among young people." Wenegieme emphasized that for many young individuals, their identity as a fan of a particular artist can be even stronger than their political affiliations.
While Carpenter topped the list for new voter registrations, other artists also made notable contributions. Green Day's Savior Tour broke HeadCount's all-time record for most voters engaged during a single tour, registering over 7,900 new voters and engaging more than 61,000 voters through in-person activities. This achievement nearly doubled the previous record set by Ariana Grande's 2019 Sweetener World Tour.
HeadCount's innovative approach includes partnering with artists to register voters at concerts and organizing sweepstakes that encourage fans to check their voter registration status for a chance to win concert tickets. The organization uses unique landing pages and tracking codes for each campaign, allowing them to confirm registrations through public voter files.
As the polls remain open for today's election, the race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump is expected to be one of the closest in history. The impact of celebrity endorsements and voter engagement efforts, like those spearheaded by Sabrina Carpenter, may prove to be a deciding factor in this tight race.
While media outlets will begin projecting results later this evening, the official certification of the election results by Congress is scheduled for January 6. As the nation awaits the outcome, the efforts of artists like Sabrina Carpenter in mobilizing young voters have undoubtedly played a crucial role in shaping the political landscape of 2024.