Meghan Markle Breaks Royal Precedent Surrounding Election Day

By Stephanie Downs

You can always count on Meghan Markle to forge her own trail. That's exactly what she's doing this Election Day, per PEOPLE. In a break from royal precedent, Markle shared that she voted and is urging Americans to do the same. 

On her and Prince Harry's Archewell website, Markle shared a photo of herself with an "I Voted" sticker. The Duchess of Sussex wears a white top (adorned with the sticker), a navy jacket, and a baseball cap as she smiles for the photo. In addition to sharing the snap, Archewell also shared some information with its readers on how they can go out and vote. Alongside the image of Markle, a statement reads, "Today is Election Day in the US! Time to get out and vote!" The message also noted that people can text "ARCHEWELL to 26797 to find your polling location and make sure you are ready to vote." The statement continued to share more information about how to vote, including confirming polling locations and reviewing what's on your ballot. Additionally, they included links to several nonpartisan sites such as I am a voter and BallotReady for further Election Day information. 

The British royal family has an interesting relationship with voting (and politics, in general). As Metro noted, the royal family is allowed to vote and there is no law against it. Although, when it comes to politics, they voluntarily choose to take a neutral stance. Markle's recent statement is neutral, as she has not encouraged people to vote one way or another. Instead, she simply encouraged everyone to go out and vote. Still, it's pretty significant to see any member of the royal family make such a significant political statement. 

Following Markle and Harry's exit as senior members of the royal family, they have been more vocal about certain topics, including politics. The Duchess of Sussex was the first modern member of the royal family to have voted in a U.S. presidential election, as PEOPLE confirmed that she did so in 2020. In that same year, Markle appeared in an ABC News special for the annual Time100 issue and addressed the importance of voting. She said, "Every four years, we're told, 'This is the most important election of our lifetime.' But this one is. When we vote, our values are put into action, and our voices are heard."

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