Meghan Markle may have left her life as a frontline royal behind and moved across the pond with her husband Prince Harry, but as a duchess she will make a historic move later this year in the upcoming US election. Meghan has been vocal about her support for democracy, appearing on a livestream panel this week to talk about the importance of voting.
The Duchess of Sussex kicked off the panel off influential women with a series of remarks about the importance of women having their political voice heard.
During her address, the Duchess relayed the importance of women coming together to ensure their voices are heard in the 2020 election.
She said: “When I think about voting and and why this is so exceptionally important for all of us, I would frame it as: We vote to honour those who came before us and to protect those who come after us.
“That’s what community is about and that is specifically what this election is all about.
“We’re only 75 days away from election day and that is so very close and yet there’s so much work to be done in that amount of time.”
Alluding to the presidential race between Democratic nominee Joe Biden and President Donald Trump, she added: “We all know what’s at stake this year. I know it. I think all of you know it if you’re here at this fun event here with us.
“You’re just as mobilised and energised to be the change that we all need and deserve.”
Meghan will also be casting her ballot in the upcoming election – as a US citizen, she is eligible to vote, but her husband Harry won’t be.
Presumably Meghan will be voting for the Democratic candidate Joe Biden in her native state of California – a blue safe seat.
Like many other countries, early democracies did not allow women to vote for a number of centuries, including the USA.
American women were given the right to vote back in 1920, when the 19th amendment was passed – but not for all women.
Women of colour were not permitted to cast a ballot, and it took several more decades for equal rights to be afforded to them.
Meghan also addressed the ongoing issue of voter suppression in the US – as Mr Trump has been defunding the US postal service so that mail-in ballots don’t arrive in time for the November date.
Many Americans are casting postal votes because of the coronavirus pandemic, which is currently ravaging Meghan’s home state of California.
“When we look at the attempts of voter suppression and what that’s doing, it’s all the more reason we need each of you to be out there supporting each other to understand that this fight is worth fighting and we all have to be out there mobilising to have our voices heard,” the Duchess said.
She continued: “We can and must do everything that we can to ensure that all women have their voices heard,” she said. “If we aren’t part of the solution, we are part of the problem.
“If you aren’t going out there and voting, then you’re complicit.
“If you’re complacent, you’re complicit. We can make the difference in this election and we will make the difference in this election.”
