Taylor Swift Faces Criticism for Staying Silent on the 2026 Midterms as Olivia Rodrigo and Ariana Grande Push Fans to Vote

05 Nov 2026, 17:41 by Sari Moon · Thought Catalog

LISA O’CONNOR / AFP via Getty Images

Updated 4 minutes ago, November 5, 2026

Taylor Swift made no endorsement or public appeal to vote during the 2026 midterms, while Olivia Rodrigo’s work with voter-registration group HeadCount generated more than 13,000 registrations in a single push.

That gap has become the focus of criticism of Swift after an election cycle in which Rodrigo and Ariana Grande used their platforms to encourage voting. Neither a reason for Swift’s silence nor her private political activity has been established.

HeadCount, a nonpartisan organization that works with artists at concerts and festivals, has partnered with both Rodrigo and Grande for years. Rodrigo’s efforts, including Daisy Chain Fields and Good to Vote, produced more than 45,000 civic actions alongside those 13,000-plus registrations. Those figures cover 1 push, with higher totals across her partnerships.

Taylor Swift photographed by Lisa O’Connor / AFP / Getty Images.

Rodrigo also shared “I Voted” content, encouraged turnout and wore a shirt supporting Amy Acton, the Democratic candidate for Ohio governor. Grande encouraged voting and civic participation through her platform and foundation, building on a HeadCount relationship that included her Sweetener tour.

Ariana Grande at the AFI Awards Luncheon held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills on January 9, 2026. Photo by Monica Schipper / Getty Images.

Election-night fan posts went further, describing Rodrigo and Grande as 2026’s top celebrity registration drivers. That ranking remains contested: the figures circulating online covered a limited group of artists and a cutoff date, rather than a complete, comparable accounting of the cycle. Harry Styles’ Madison Square Garden residency reportedly generated more than 33,000 HeadCount registrations on its own.

Swift’s own record is part of why her silence drew scrutiny. In 2018, she endorsed Democrat Phil Bredesen against Republican Marsha Blackburn for Tennessee’s Senate seat, criticizing Blackburn’s positions on equal pay, the Violence Against Women Act and LGBTQ rights. Her Instagram appeal was followed by a spike in Tennessee voter registrations.

In Miss Americana, Swift cried while discussing the race, called Blackburn “Trump in a wig,” and expressed regret that she hadn’t opposed Trump publicly sooner. She later endorsed Joe Biden in 2020 and Kamala Harris in 2024.

Her earlier criticism of Blackburn resurfaced after Blackburn won Tennessee’s 2026 governor’s race. Swift issued no new public statement about that result.

If this resonated, follow Thought Catalog on Facebook and explore more stories on our website.