Why didn't Selena Gomez vote ever before? Singer tells Kamala Harris she wasn't 'educated enough'
Celebrities are under constant scrutiny for their behavior and, when elections are around the corner, many 'woke' fans are especially concerned about whether or not their favorite star is going to be voting. The same happened with Selena Gomez who did not vote in the last elections. Speaking with Senator Kamala Harris, Joe Biden's running mate, in a video chat on Instagram, Gomez explained that she didn’t vote because of a lack of education and mental health resources.
In 2015, Gomez revealed, she underwent a kidney transplant as a result of lupus. She also famously took a break from her career to deal with anxiety and depression stemming from her diagnosis. The 28-year-old singer said, "To be honest, I think in the past when I was younger, I wasn’t very educated on the voting process. The past four years I’ve experienced a lot. I just feel that my vote counts more than ever. As a citizen, as someone who truly, truly cares about their country, not voting is just not an option."
As the conversation went on, which can be watched in full here, Harris lauded Gomez for an "incredible voice on the issue of lupus." Harris said, "My sister wrote this year about the fact that she has lupus. It’s something that we have been, as a family, dealing with for many, many years. There are so many women of color who have lupus and are still struggling to get the kind of attention and treatment that they deserve. That’s one of the things that Joe and I are fighting for, which is to hold onto the Affordable Care Act and expand it — including what you’ve talked a lot about: mental healthcare."
The singer shared the IGTV video with the following caption: "I had the opportunity to speak with Senator Kamala Harris and we discussed several issues that matter. Here is a clip of us discussing the importance of voting and supporting people with mental health issues. There is too much on the line this election for anyone to sit on the sidelines. We all must use our voices and vote. Vote EARLY, vote safely and try to vote in person or drop your ballot in a dropbox (that’s what I did and it couldn’t have been any easier). If you aren’t voting in person, please make sure you follow the instructions that come with your ballot carefully and do not forget to sign your ballot (it’s usually smart to use a blue or black ballpoint ink pen)! For more info to learn how and where to vote in your state go to IWillVote.com".
Earlier in October, talking about how the 2020 elections are the first one she's ever voted in, Gomez, during her Voting Power Hour appearance, said that she didn't feel like her voice mattered since she lives in California, a solidly blue state. She said, "Honestly, I’m not ashamed to say this but I kind of — this was my first time. And I’m going to say that because I never felt — and this is so true — and I’m now like admitting it to people, like my vote counts. Like, every little thing counts so I just think some people get in their head, like, oh well, what does it matter? And then once I really, really started going in and diving into this, it’s been all I can focus on."