As voters headed to the polls on November 5th, 2024, several pop artists emerged as unsung heroes in the fight to get young Americans registered and engaged. According to the non-profit organization HeadCount, [Sabrina Carpenter] led the charge, personally registering a staggering 35,814 new voters during her “Short n’ Sweet” tour.
Carpenter’s efforts were part of a broader initiative by HeadCount to partner with over 100 top music artists—including [Green Day], [Ariana Grande], and many others—to inspire fans to participate in the pivotal election showdown between [Vice President Kamala Harris] and [former President Donald Trump].
“Through our partnerships with these artists, HeadCount had a record-breaking year, registering over 450,000 new voters and engaging over 3 million more people to make sure they vote,” said Lucille Wenegieme, HeadCount’s Executive Director.
Wenegieme credited the success of the model to the “cultural cache and intimate connection” that musicians and celebrities have with their young fan bases. Over 80% of the new voters registered through HeadCount’s artist collaborations were from Gen Z and Millennial demographics.
In addition to Carpenter’s individual efforts, [Green Day] also made a significant impact, breaking HeadCount’s all-time record for most voters engaged on a single tour. The legendary rock band registered over 7,900 new voters and engaged 61,000 more through activations on their “Saviors” album tour—nearly doubling the previous record set by [Ariana Grande] in 2019.
In addition to these prominent musical acts, a diverse range of A-list celebrities have contributed their voices to voter mobilization campaigns during the last stages of the campaign. [Beyoncé], [Jennifer Lopez], and [Lady Gaga] were among the stars who campaigned alongside Vice President Harris in key battleground states, while influential podcaster [Joe Rogan] voiced support for Trump.
As ballot counting continues and media outlets begin projecting state-level results, the final official certification of the 2024 election won’t occur until January 6th, when Congress convenes. But one thing is certain: this year, pop culture played a pivotal role in mobilizing young Americans to have their voices heard at the ballot box.