Vice President Kamala Harris came on to the presidential campaign scene armed with memes and laughter. Critics argued that promoting joy wasn’t a political strategy, but Gen Zers – just like Harris herself – may just be proving that wrong.
“[Joy is] the underlying theme of everything we’re doing. Even the fact that we exist is proof that joy is effective,” says Irene Kim, co-founder of Swifties for Kamala, a coalition of Taylor Swift fans supporting Harris’s campaign. “Everyone who’s a part of this has a really similar story: that they felt so disheartened about this election, and being part of this movement has made them excited again.”
Harnessing the power of fandom is part of a bigger trend of youth-focused political organizations utilizing pop culture and fun activities to lower barriers to entry into the sometimes intimidating and overwhelming world of politics.
As Election Day nears, Swifties for Kamala is focusing on North Carolina and Pennsylvania, two of the seven swing states that could decide the election. The organization has mobilized an army of Swift fans to canvass, phone bank, and make friendship bracelets to attract potential voters. It’s just one example of the way young people are adding joy to an otherwise stressful election season.
“A lot of Swifties just want to know how to help,” Kim says. “That’s the biggest thing we’re doing: text banking and phone banking, because people just needed to know where to direct their energy to.”
Whenever Swifties for Kamala members meet, a friendship bracelet-making station is a must. They’ll soon be launching a nationwide project called “You’re Not Alone, Kid,” after Swift’s song that inspired the bracelets to begin with. Volunteers in all 50 states will distribute custom friendship bracelets featuring a QR code that provides voting information and resources for every state. (Swift has endorsed Harris for president, but is not affiliated with this organization.)
“People really respond to the bracelets,” Kim says. “They’re so happy when they get to take one. That’s something we’ve been using to reach voters. It gives you that access point to have a conversation.”
Mixing Art and Activism
Thirty or so college students gathered in a Columbia University event space earlier this month to decorate and write postcards, which would later be sent to reproductive healthcare providers and patients to offer gratitude and encouragement.
It’s . . . more about motivating people with the reasons behind why we need to vote.
Unlike many other Gen Z-focused political events, this one put on by Columbia University Democrats wasn’t inherently about trying to motivate classmates to support a particular candidate or even to make sure they’re registered to vote. It was about offering support to those whose healthcare needs have been politicized, and humanizing an issue that is often discussed in generalizations.
“I think that people forget that these people who have passed away or who haven’t been able to get the reproductive healthcare that they need . . . are real people,” says Zareen Brown, programming chair for Columbia University Democrats. “There are people that are suffering and will suffer if this election doesn’t go in a certain direction. And I also think it’s really important to not just shove politicians in people’s faces, and more about motivating people with the reasons behind why we need to vote.”
The evening was a delicate balance of heavy, serious discussions about reproductive justice and a lighter activity of coloring pre-designed postcard kits, courtesy of Brooklyn’s Rage Art Studio. On the back of hers, Brown, 20, wrote, “Thank you for your service” in fancy script, adorned with hearts. The front design, which she dressed up with colored pencils, read, “Keep your filthy laws off my silky drawers.”
That balance mirrors how Brown – and to a greater extent, many of her fellow Gen Zers – view the upcoming election: a mix of anxiety and hope.
“This [election] is very high stakes,” Brown adds. “I also think that this whole election says a lot about what we’re willing to accept in terms of our values as a country. That carries a lot of weight for me because I truly believe that the greatest part of patriotism is wanting to make your country better and wanting it to be the best it could possibly be.”
H-O-T-T-O-V-O-T-E
Chappell Roan may not be interested in endorsing a presidential candidate, but that isn’t stopping voter organizations from utilizing playful nods to pop culture to attract those who would rather go to a concert than a political rally.
NextGen America, one of the largest youth voting organizations in the country, has mastered the entertainment and politics crossover. They set up voting registration booths featuring Roan’s music with signs that read “H-O-T-T-O-V-O-T-E, you can take me to the polls”; Swift-inspired friendship bracelets; and a coffee giveaway dubbed “That’s That Free Espresso,” after the Sabrina Carpenter hit. At this summer’s Democratic National Convention, they set up a lime green, “Brat”-inspired “youth vote” photo backdrop. On social media, they posted Photoshopped versions of Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” album cover featuring a sash that reads, “Go Vote Y’all.”
We’re not seeing many voter outreach programs for young men.
For more than a decade, the nonprofit has aimed to “make the voting process more accessible,” Emily Slatkow, communications director for NextGen, says. These events and initiatives, along with a majority of left-leaning political activations this election cycle, focus mainly on young women. It’s not without reason – during the 2020 election, Trump gained more female voters than he had in 2016, according to data from the Pew Research Center. But that also puts a decreasing emphasis on a generation of young men, who statistics show have become increasingly more conservative over the last decade.
Enter: NextGen’s basketball classic. Dozens of Philadelphia-based high-school basketball all-stars joined the organization for 3-point contests and 2-on-2 scrimmages. They partnered with NBA star Kyrie Irving’s nonprofit More Than A Run, which aims to connect communities through basketball. It was branded as an opportunity to highlight local talent and build community, with a side of educating young athletes about the power of civic engagement.
“We’re not seeing many voter outreach programs for young men,” Slatkow says. “We wanted to make sure that we are in that space and that we are having those conversations. . . . I think a good amount of [young people] feel like maybe their voice doesn’t matter. We’re trying to bridge that gap between civic engagement and action and making sure that folks do feel they have that power.”
“Meet People Where They’re at”
For voter organizations that cater to Gen Zers, leaders say it’s paramount to use language, visuals, and activities that people are familiar with as an entry point to discuss something out of their comfort zone.
“Our goal is meeting people where they’re at,” Slatkow says. “How can we find ways of sparking conversations around civic engagement through culturally competent means, whether that’s a basketball event or a tabling event with friendship bracelets?”
You can’t survive off just anger and rage.
Don’t underestimate the power of a friendship bracelet, Kim adds. A few weeks back, Kim attended Oprah Winfrey and Harris’s Unite for America Rally, during which Kim was visible on camera for most of the event. Afterward, she recalls several people approaching her to say that they had Republican family members who decided to vote for Harris because they were, first and foremost, Swifties. And later on, Kim heard from a friend who had told her coworkers about the Swiftie-led movement to elect Harris.
“She convinced all these older women she works with to register to vote, because the entry point was talking about Taylor,” Kim says. “So she was able to register all these women, and they live in Florida – so that’s a very big deal.”
As the election draws closer and anxiety increases, these organizers understand the importance of motivating young people in particular by giving them “something to hope for,” as Slatkow puts it.
“You can’t survive off just anger and rage,” Kim says. “What’s been so great about this movement, even just having Kamala as a candidate, has been that it became about something exciting. That’s what our fandom is built around, too: celebrating each other and doing joyful activities together.”
To learn more about how to register to vote, what the process is like, where to vote, and more, please check out resources from National Voter Education Week.
Hannah Yasharoff is a journalist based in Washington DC specializing in entertainment, wellness, and lifestyle topics. Previously, she was an entertainment and wellness reporter at USA Today for more than five years before serving as a health and wellness reporter for The Messenger.
