If you’re like me, you began avoiding social media earlier this summer. The constant posting by news and political accounts of what felt like the same story, about the same election, and the same tired candidates was overwhelming.
In 2016, I was engaged in conversations. Excited by a new chapter, and astounded that a reality TV star thought they had a chance. In 2020, I was passionate. Desperate for change, volunteering on phonebanks, and writing postcards to swing state voters. By 2024, I was exhausted.
Political fatigue, or voter fatigue, is when voters feel disengaged or apathetic. It results from the overwhelming prominence of politics in everyday life, what feels like a monotony of stories and developments, and the loss of hope for change or growth in your favor.
After Joe Biden’s performance in the first Presidential Debate of 2024, I unfollowed news outlets on Instagram with austerity. I knew I would vote blue, but I couldn’t be everpresent anymore.
In a shocking turn of events, the Democratic Party exposed bold self-awareness. The importance of this election and the inability of their candidate were no longer a secret. People were talking, they were engaged. Voters, pundits, and celebrities were affecting change.
Like an alarm during deep sleep, the election was broken open and turned on its head. Kamala Harris would run, and Biden would finish out his only term.
Harris hit the ground running, campaigning on joy and a promise to move forward.
The impact of her candidacy was to show fatigued voters that the story of our last two elections is not a roadmap for the future. It proved that sharing views and opinions can cause a larger shift. She gave so many of us a reason to sit up and pay attention, to believe the system might work for us again.
According to a GALLUP Poll published on August 29, Americans’ enthusiasm about voting has surged since July. Climbing from 54% in March, 69% of voters now report they’re more enthusiastic to vote than usual.
An NAACP survey found that 78% of Black voters feel the same excitement as they did during Obama’s first campaign. They also found that 56% of Black voters are more excited this year than in 2008.
Since the most recent debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and the former President, between 82 and 89% of Democratic voters in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin say they’re excited by the Harris campaign, according to CBS News.
The same report from CBS News stated that 64% of voters (no specified party affiliation) say Harris has the cognitive and mental health to serve, versus 47% for Trump.
The cherry on top of it all, the latest development that truly describes the pop-cultural landscape of 2024 – internet searches for “Taylor Swift voter registration” surged by 700% in the 24 hours following her endorsement of Kamala Harris (ABC News). CBS reported 405,999 users visited vote.gov, a popular voter registration site, in this same 24-hour period.
In short, I’m excited. Something is happening in the air and its powerful.
Essie Somma is an artist and freelance writer exploring beauty and difficulty within the human experience. She has been traveling full-time for two years, learning about new places and cultures, and bringing all of her experiences to her work. She feels endlessly grateful for getting to share her work with others.
Definitely feel like the Harris candidacy shift puts the Democrats in a new position that is forward thinking and not compromised. Excited to go vote!