Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Talked About the Election in a Rare TV Appearance

• Meghan Markle and Prince Harry (opens in new tab) appeared on ABC Tuesday night as part of Time magazine's TIME100 special.
• The Sussexes discussed the importance of voting, as well as the need to combat "hate speech, misinformation, and online negativity."
• "Every four years, we are told the same thing: that this is the most important election of our lifetime. But this one is," Meghan said.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made their first joint TV appearance since stepping down as senior royals Tuesday night, as part of Time magazine's TIME100 special to celebrate their list of the year's most influential people. The Sussexes, who were both named to the TIME100 list in 2018, spoke about the importance of November's election as well as the danger of online hate speech during the special, which aired on ABC.

"Seeing our world through the lens of community is so important, because we need to redraw the lines of how we engage with each other both online and off," Meghan said. "What we’re exposed to online seeps into how we engage with each other offline. It can train us to be kind, or it can train us to be cruel."

Harry continued, "When the bad outweighs the good, for many, whether we realize it our not, it erodes our ability to have compassion, and our ability to put ourself in someone else’s shoes. Because when one person buys into negativity online, the effects are felt exponentially. It’s time to not only reflect, but act."

Meghan stressed the importance of voting in November's election, saying, "Now we're just six weeks out from election day, and today is National Voter Registration Day. Every four years, we are told the same thing: that this is the most important election of our lifetime. But this one is." She added, "When we vote, our values are put into action and our voices are heard. Your voice is a reminder that you matter, because you do, and you deserve to be heard."

"This election, I’m not going to be able to vote here in the U.S.," Harry said. "But many of you may not know that I haven’t been able to vote in the U.K. my entire life. As we approach this November, it's vital that we reject hate speech, misinformation, and online negativity."

"So as we work to reimagine the world around us, let’s challenge ourselves to build communities of compassion," Meghan urged viewers. Have the Sussexes have reminded you to register to vote? There's an extremely convenient button to click right here: