Swift urges fans to vote but silent on Biden support

Pop superstar Taylor Swift has urged people to head to the polls, as voters across the US prepare to vote in the Super Tuesday primary elections.

Fifteen states will cast their ballots to pick the Republican and Democratic nominees for president.

In a post to Instagram, the singer urged her 282 million followers to "make a plan to vote today".

Swift, who backed President Joe Biden in 2020, has yet to endorse any candidate for November's poll.

She maintained her silence on that front on Tuesday, instead directing voters to check where there local polling station would be.

"I wanted to remind you guys to vote the people who most represent YOU into power. If you haven't already, make a plan to vote today," she wrote. "Whether you're in Tennessee or somewhere else in the US, check your polling places and times at vote.org."

The multiple Grammy winner has a social media following which dwarfs that of Mr Biden and his presumptive challenger, former President Donald Trump. Her approval among US adults also outshines the men, with 40% of registered voters saying they had a positive view of the singer.

When asked about efforts to secure Swift's backing by late-night host Seth Myers last week, Mr Biden joked: "That's classified."

But the White House is believed to be heavily courting her endorsement, hoping that it could prompt millions of younger voters to back Mr Biden's re-election bid. US media reported earlier this year that Swift was the Biden campaign's "biggest and most influential endorsement target".

In September, California Gov Gavin Newsom - a key ally to Mr Biden - urged Swift to become more involved with the president's campaign.

"Taylor Swift stands tall and unique," he told reporters after a Republican debate. "What she was able to accomplish just in getting young people activated to consider that they have a voice and that they should have a choice in the next election, I think, is profoundly powerful."

Once the target of criticism for her seemingly apolitical stance, in recent years Swift has become more vocal in the political arena.

She has been particularly outspoken in her criticism of Mr Trump. In May 2020, she accused him of "stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency", adding "we will vote you out in November".

Ahead of the 2024 election, Mr Trump has already urged Swift not to endorse Mr Biden. Writing on Truth Social, the 77-year-old claimed there was "no way" she could be "disloyal" to him, claiming he made her "so much money" by passing the Music Modernization Act - legislation which aimed to ensure fair compensation for artists.

The star has also become known for her efforts to ensure young people are registered to vote.

In September, her post to Instagram urging people to register to vote saw 35,000 people sign-up online, according to Vote.org. The message, posted on National Voter Registration Day, also prompted a 115% increase in 18-year-olds registering compared to 2022, the site said.

The singer's perceived political power has increasingly seen her become the target of online conspiracy theories, driven especially by conservative social media accounts.

Before last month's Super Bowl Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce, became the target of conspiracy theories boosted by some allies of Mr Trump, including former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

Spread online, advocates claimed the NFL game had been fixed for Kelce's side to allow the couple to endorse Mr Biden at the game's conclusion. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell called the theory "nonsense".