Swift paired social media and social activism in a lengthy Instagram post on Sunday evening. One month before the midterm elections, she endorsed two Democrats and entreated her followers to register and show up to the polls. The influence of such celebrity endorsements has never been a sure thing. But Swift is aiming to call forth the untapped political power of millennials and Generation Z…

“I was actually listening to Taylor Swift when you called,” Blake Kitterman, the vice president of the Tennessee Young Democrats, said in a telephone interview.

As he studied for his midterm exams at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, the college junior was pumping himself up with “Reputation,” the singer’s sixth studio album and the fulfillment of her long journey from country melodies to contemporary pop.

“She’s a monumental influence with younger generations,” said Kitterman, 21. Especially as the #MeToo movement shines a light on sexual violence, Swift stands out as a public figure who has defended herself against harassment, he said. Last year, she won a case against a DJ who had groped her in 2013, taking the stand to describe in blunt terms how he had touched her without her consent. “She has spoken up when she needed to, and I do think she has that momentum needed to push millennial to the polls.”