Can celebrity endorsements make a substantial impact in presidential races?

Prior to her formal acceptance of the nomination, Vice-President Kamala Harris has garnered endorsements from various celebrities following the announcement of her likely Democratic presidential nomination.

A number of celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney, Ariana Grande and John Legend, have thrown their support behind Harris' presidential bid, while others such as Jason Aldean, Kid Rock, and Hulk Hogan have backed Donald Trump.

Taylor Swift was among the most recent celebrities to publicly support Harris, taking to Instagram following Harris' debate against Donald Trump on Tuesday evening.

The question of whether endorsements such as Swift's will impact voters in November is a crucial one.

Celebrity endorsements may occasionally affect voter registration or candidate choice

Celebrity endorsements have not typically been a significant contributor to a candidate's victory or defeat, according to Louisiana political scientist Josh Stockley. However, he suggested that Taylor Swift's unique status as a historical celebrity may lead to unprecedented trends in the election.

Stockley stated that Swift's endorsement is more likely to galvanize individuals who were previously undecided about register or voting, rather than influencing their voting decision.

Pearson Cross, a Louisiana political scientist, noted that endorsements from prominent figures can sometimes substantially impact presidential races, citing Representative Jim Clyburn's endorsement of President Joe Biden in 2020 as an example, which provided Biden a helpful boost.

"There are times when it seems to do that," Cross said. "I think endorsements are important for, not necessarily base voters, but for voters who are maybe on the fence or not really sure which way to go. I think they can be influenced by a celebrity expressing support or someone who's important expressing support for a particular candidate."

Cross estimated that 85 to 89 percent of voters have already made up their minds, and the question now is what will persuade the remaining eight to 10 percent of undecided or newly engaged voters, which is uncertain at this point.

"A celebrity endorsement, like for example, Taylor Swift ? that potentially is an important endorsement, particularly for people who haven't voted before," Cross said. "One would imagine that there are Taylor Swift fans who have not been involved in the political process before that would, on the basis of her endorsement, get registered to vote and then cast their vote for Kamala Harris."

Stockley said once the official party nominees were established, a large majority of voters had already made up their minds, with only a small proportion of the electorate remaining undecided.

"I don't think there a lot of undecided voters but in such a contested, competitive election, those undecideds have the ability to play an exponentially significant role in this electoral cycle if they reside in very specific states," Stockley said.

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This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Can celebrity endorsements impact presidential elections?