Meghan Markle will vote in 2020 presidential election in break from royal tradition to 'make our voices heard'

Meghan Markle will make history in November as she will vote in the American presidential election in a break from British royal tradition of remaining apolitical. The 39-year-old joined 99 other influential women, including Michelle Obama, Gabrielle Union, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Hillary Clinton, in a conversation with Marie Claire and revealed why she will use her power to vote.

"I know what it's like to have a voice, and also what it's like to feel voiceless. I also know that so many men and women have put their lives on the line for us to be heard. And that opportunity, that fundamental right, is in our ability to exercise our right to vote and to make all of our voices heard,” Meghan told the outlet for an article featured in their August digital issue. “One of my favorite quotes, and one that my husband and I have referred to often, is from Kate Sheppard, a leader in the suffragist movement in New Zealand, who said, 'Do not think your single vote does not matter much. The rain that refreshes the parched ground is made up of single drops. That is why I vote."

This is going to be the first time a member of a royal family will be casting a vote because normally, they do not take sides in elections and remain politically neutral, However, there is no law prohibiting it. “As Head of State The Queen has to remain strictly neutral with respect to political matters. By convention, The Queen does not vote or stand for election, however Her Majesty does have important ceremonial and formal roles in relation to the government of the UK,” according to the royal family’s official website.

Meghan, a US citizen, was born and brought up in Los Angeles, California, married Prince Harry in May 2018. Earlier, after her marriage with the 35-year-old, the palace said that she had plans to become a British citizen. But some time later, the couple took the decision to step down from senior royal duties and after Megxit, they settled in Los Angles with their one-year-old son, Archie.

While speaking to Marie Claire, the former actress did not reveal whom she was voting for in November, but in the past, she has criticized President Donald Trump. "Of course Trump is divisive—think about female voters alone. I think it was in 2012, the Republican Party lost the female vote by 12 points. That’s a huge number and as misogynistic as Trump is — and so vocal about it — that’s a huge chunk of it,” she said on ‘The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore’ before Trump won 2016 election.

Also, in 2018, Meghan delivered a powerful speech about women’s suffrage during her visit to New Zealand. "Because yes, women’s suffrage is about feminism, but feminism is about fairness. Suffrage is not simply about the right to vote but also about what that represents: the basic and fundamental human right of being able to participate in the choices for your future and that of your community, the involvement and voice that allows you to be a part of the very world that you are a part of,” she added.