How the Debate Affected Mail Ballot Application Activity in Pennsylvania

Following Tuesday’s presidential debate Taylor Swift announced on Instagram her endorsement of Kamala Harris on Instagram and posted a trackable link to vote.gov, which has instructions on how to register to vote or update a registration. At least three hundred thousand people visited the site through the trackable URL.

This activity suggests we should see activity in voter registration databases in the coming weeks. I received a snapshot of the Georgia file today. (Many thanks to subscribers who helped me defray the $495 cost!) However, like other voter files, new registration activity tends to lag events as election officials process voter registration applications. It probably won’t be until late next week that we have a better picture of the Taylor Swift affect, if any.

That said, election officials often — but not always — enter mail ballot applications in a more timely manner (applications are often more routinized because personal information has already been verified through registering to vote). So what does the latest Pennsylvania mail ballot file as of Friday, September 13 tell us?