Campaigns circumvent political advertising rules by paying influencers

WASHINGTON — Between posts showing himself doing ladder exercises and lifting weights, Ky'Wuan Dukes, a 20-year-old wide receiver at Johnson University C Smith, tells her 21,000 Instagram followers to vote. He has also discussed gun control and abortion rights, part of a campaign he is paid to participate in by NextGen America, a Democratic political action committee and advocacy group. /p>

Luke Stone, a contestant of the reality shows "Bachelorette" and "Bachelor in Paradise", shared with his 33,000 followers an ad promoting women's reproductive rights , paid for by another Democratic PAC, American Bridge.

And in July, Grace Hunter, who has 4 million followers on TikTok, posted a video capturing the responses which she got on a dating app when she asked people she matched for their views on abortion. She then encouraged her followers to vote, in a sponsored campaign called "Hot Girls Vote".

These social media influencers and microinfluencers - non- famous people who have amassed a moderately large following – are paid hundreds or even thousands of dollars per post to spread political messages, and they are part of a growing group of people who are paid by campaign agents to create content aimed at influencing the midterm elections.

< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Political businesses, primarily those aligned with Democrats and progressive causes, are increasingly turning to them in hope to find ways to reach Gen Z and non-English speaking voters, the researchers say, and they represent a new – and unregulated – way to promote political messages.

The Strategists say using influencers can improve how campaigns interact with crucial voters who could help sway competitive races. They offer a cost-effective way to communicate with large, localized audiences that drive greater engagement and circumvent political advertising bans on platforms like Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram.

“​ Influencers know their audience better than anyone,” said Jessica Floyd, president of American Bridge. "They're in conversation with people day in and day out about things that matter to them."

Younger voters tend to lean towards the Democrats, voting for Joseph R. Biden Jr. .. over President Donald J. Trump in the last presidential election by a margin of 60% to 36%, but they are the age group least likely to run. In a September New York Times/Siena College poll, only 30% of young voters said they were "almost certain" to vote in the midterm elections.

People First, a liberal-leaning firm specializing in influencer partnerships found in a study that 43% of respondents trusted influencers more than political campaigns themselves, says Curtis Hougland , general manager of the company.

Mr. Hougland said People First has worked with about 10,000 influencers this election cycle to cover seven congressional races and about a dozen other advocacy and state-level campaigns.

The NextGen PAC set aside approximately $2 million this campaign cycle for its digital strategy and influencer programs in partnership with college athletes, including Mr. Duke, and TikTok users, including Ms. Hunter, according to Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez, president of the group. ...