16 music icons using their fame to get their fans to vote

Taylor Swift isn't the only artist who wants you to vote.
By Victoria Rodriguez  on 
16 music icons using their fame to get their fans to vote
Rihanna, John Legend, and Taylor Swift are some of the famous musicians  asking their fans to register to vote. Credit: mashable composite: Frazer Harrison / Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images

Rihanna, John Legend, and Taylor Swift all have something you probably didn't expect in common: They want you to get out and vote.

Musical artists across all genres are taking to social media to encourage their fans to vote in the midterm elections. (Mark you calendar for Nov. 6!) Many of them have partnered up with nonprofits like Rock the Vote and Head Count, both of which specialize in voter registration efforts. However, Swift is the latest star to join in.

Swift has been criticized for not using her platform to speak about political issues, but on Sunday she broke her silence in an Instagram post. Swift endorsed Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper, both Democrats running to represent Tennessee in Congress, and advocated for marginalized groups, urging her fans to register to vote at Vote.org.

Mike Huckabee, a former Republican governor of Arkansas, tweeted that Swift's endorsements wouldn't make a difference in the election, but the numbers tell a different story. In the 24 hours following Swift's post, 65,000 people registered to vote, according to Kamari Guthrie, director of communications for Vote.org. The New York Times reported that a total of 166,000 people across the country used Vote.org to register between Sunday and noon on Tuesday.

This is all to say that on Nov. 6 you should follow Swift's lead, get off your butt, and head to the polls because as cliché as it sounds, every vote counts. In 2016, Trump won six states by margins of less than 2 percent. If you still need to register, check out these organizations or click the links included in the celebrity tweets, below. Otherwise, get fired up for the midterms and read the powerful messages from some of your favorite artists.

1. Rihanna

2. Taylor Swift

View this post on Instagram

3. John Legend

4. Hayley Kiyoko

5. Alicia Keys

6. Maggie Rogers

7. Paramore

8. Kesha

9. Common

10. Local Natives

11. Michael Franti

12. Katy Perry

13. Camila Cabello

14. Lauren Jauregui

15. Janet Jackson

16. Janelle Monáe


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