Taylor Swift announces she will 'proudly vote' for Joe Biden in US election

Swift has found her voice in politics. Photo / AP

Taylor Swift is making the most of her new-found voice in politics.

The singer, who once actively avoided discussing politics in the public sphere, has penned a short essay for V Magazine discussing equality, global health, and Joe Biden – who she says she will "proudly vote for" in the November 3 election.

She went on to officially declare her support for Democratic presidential nominee Biden on Instagram, posting a photo holding a tray of Biden/Harris cookies.

It comes as the Shake it Off singer, 30, has become more and more vocal about her stance in the upcoming election – even taking to calling out President Donald Trump on Twitter in recent months.

Her latest message, available on the publication's website reads: "The change we need most is to elect a president who recognises that people of colour deserve to feel safe and represented, that women deserve the right to choose what happens to their bodies, and that the LGBTQIA+ community deserves to be acknowledged and included.

"Everyone deserves a government that takes global health risks seriously and puts the lives of its people first. The only way we can begin to make things better is to choose leaders who are willing to face these issues and find ways to work through them."

Swift continued: "I will proudly vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in this year's presidential election. Under their leadership, I believe America has a chance to start the healing process it so desperately needs."

It comes after the Cardigan songstress unleashed on Trump in August, accusing the US President of deliberately "dismantling" his country's Postal Service in an effort to "destroy" Americans' right to vote.

Her comments came while the US was mired in a political stand-off over mail-in voting, which the Democrats were pushing to allow Americans to cast ballots without risking exposure to coronavirus.

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I spoke to @vmagazine about why I’ll be voting for Joe Biden for president. So apt that it’s come out on the night of the VP debate. Gonna be watching and supporting @kamalaharris by yelling at the tv a lot. And I also have custom cookies 🍪💪😘 📷 @inezandvinoodh

A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Oct 7, 2020 at 1:21pm PDT

The President, on the other hand, made known his belief that a rise in the number of people voting by mail would lead to widespread fraud, admitting he opposed giving the Postal Service extra funding.

"He is well aware that we do not want him as our President," Swift said in response to Trump's admission.

"He's chosen to blatantly cheat and put millions of Americans' lives at risk in an effort to hold on to power."

She went on to urge her fans to request ballots and "vote early".

Swift was not always so politically outspoken.

In 2016, the You Need To Calm Down singer copped a lot of flak for refraining from any endorsement.

She has since admitted she regrets holding her tongue for so long.

"I come from country music. The number one thing they absolutely drill into you as a country artist – and you can ask any other country artist this – is, 'Don't be like the Dixie Chicks'," she told The Guardian last year.

The Chicks, formerly known as the Dixie Chicks, famously declared they were "ashamed" to be from the same state as then-president George W. Bush in 2003, which didn't go down well with a lot of fans.

"I watched country music snuff that candle out, the most amazing group we had, just because they talked about politics," Swift said.

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I’m writing this post about the upcoming midterm elections on November 6th, in which I’ll be voting in the state of Tennessee. In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now. I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country. I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent. I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender or who they love. Running for Senate in the state of Tennessee is a woman named Marsha Blackburn. As much as I have in the past and would like to continue voting for women in office, I cannot support Marsha Blackburn. Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me. She voted against equal pay for women. She voted against the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which attempts to protect women from domestic violence, stalking, and date rape. She believes businesses have a right to refuse service to gay couples. She also believes they should not have the right to marry. These are not MY Tennessee values. I will be voting for Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives. Please, please educate yourself on the candidates running in your state and vote based on who most closely represents your values. For a lot of us, we may never find a candidate or party with whom we agree 100% on every issue, but we have to vote anyway. So many intelligent, thoughtful, self-possessed people have turned 18 in the past two years and now have the right and privilege to make their vote count. But first you need to register, which is quick and easy to do. October 9th is the LAST DAY to register to vote in the state of TN. Go to vote.org and you can find all the info. Happy Voting! 🗳😃🌈

A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Oct 7, 2018 at 4:33pm PDT

"They were made such an example of that basically every country artist that came after that, every label tells you, 'Do not get involved, no matter what.'

"The worst part of the timing of what happened in 2016 was I felt completely voiceless. I just felt like, 'Oh god, who would want me?' Honestly.

"I just felt completely, just useless. And maybe even like a hindrance."

Swift first broke her longstanding political silence in 2018, endorsing Democratic Senate candidate Phil Bredesen in her home state, Tennessee.

"In the past I've been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now," Swift told her followers in an Instagram post.

"I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for all Americans, no matter their skin colour, gender or who they love."

In an essay for Elle magazine last year on 30 lessons she has learned ahead of her 30th birthday, the Shake it Off singer said she was "finding [her] voice in terms of politics".

"I took a lot of time educating myself on the political system and the branches of government that are signing off on bills that affect our day-to-day life," Swift wrote.

"I saw so many issues that put our most vulnerable citizens at risk, and felt like I had to speak up to try and help make a change."

This year, Swift has been far less shy about voicing her opinions.

During the mass protests sparked by the death of George Floyd this year, she called Trump out for an apparent threat of violence against demonstrators.

"After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence? 'When the looting starts, the shooting starts?' We will vote you out in November," she tweeted at the President.

The Thought Leaders issue of V Magazine features a number of celebrities and their thoughts on politics, including Chris Evans, Mariah Carey, Bella Hadid and Julianne Moore.