Meghan Markle Made Royal History by Voting in the Presidential Election

• Meghan Markle used her vote (opens in new tab) in the presidential election, submitting her ballot early by mail.
• By doing so, she made royal history, becoming the first known royal to vote in a presidential election (or any election, for that matter).
• "When we vote, our values are put into action and our voices are heard," Meghan said in a September TV appearance.

Meghan Markle utilized her vote in the presidential election, reportedly submitting her ballot early by mail, according to Page Six (opens in new tab). And by doing so, she made history, becoming the first known British royal to vote in a U.S. election—or indeed, in any election. Members of the royal family are discouraged from voting in the U.K., expected to remain politically neutral, as Prince Harry noted in a September TV appearance. It's unknown whether American royal Wallis Simpson, who married the former King Edward VIII after he abdicated the throne, ever voted in the U.S.

An insider told Page Six, "Meghan was an American long before she was a royal. She wouldn’t miss voting in this election no matter where she was living."

Appearing on Time magazine's TIME100 TV special in September, Meghan urged viewers to use their vote (opens in new tab) in the 2020 presidential election. "Every four years, we are told the same thing: that this is the most important election of our lifetime. But this one is," she said. "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."

Harry, meanwhile, reflected on his inability to vote as a British royal. "This election, I’m not going to be able to vote here in the U.S.," he 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."