Meghan Markle Will Appear in Michelle Obama's Virtual Voter Registration Event

• Meghan Markle is teaming up with Michelle Obama's voter registration organization When We All Vote, which aims to "increase participation in every election and close the race and age voting gap."
• Meghan will take part in a virtual "Couch Party" this afternoon, August 20, to mark the 100 year anniversary of the 19th amendment.
• The Duchess of Sussex will appear alongside Valerie Jarrett, Yvette Nicole Brown, DJ Diamond Kuts, and Samantha Barry.

Major Meghan Markle news this morning! The Duchess of Sussex is teaming up with Michelle Obama's voter participation initiative, When We All Vote, founded in order to "increase participation in every election and close the race and age voting gap." This afternoon, August 20, Meghan will appear in a livestreamed "Couch Party" titled "When All Women Vote," to commemorate the centennial of the 19th amendment. Want to virtually attend? RSVP here.

The 19th amendment, ratified on August 18, 1920, prohibited states from denying women the vote—though voter suppression tactics were still broadly employed against Black and Latinx women, as Treva B. Lindsey writes for CNN, while Native American and Asian American women were denied citizenship, preventing them from voting.

Meghan will appear alongside Obama senior advisor and When We All Vote board chair Valerie Jarrett, actor and activist Yvette Nicole Brown, Glamour editor-in-chief Samantha Barry, and DJ Diamond Kuts. The virtual event will "honor the 19th Amendment, celebrate the women of color who have fought to make the promise of the 19th Amendment a reality for ALL women, and highlight the need to expand voting rights for marginalized communities." Viewers will learn how to use the When We All Vote texting tool, OutVote, and text voters nationwide to encourage them to register.

Earlier this month, Meghan opened up to Marie Claire about why she'll be using her vote in November's election. "I know what it's like to have a voice, and also what it's like to feel voiceless," she said. "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."

"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,'" Meghan added. "That is why I vote."

Michelle Obama, too, spoke to Marie Claire about why she votes. "I'm voting for two reasons," she said. "First—it's something I do every election. I grew up seeing my father, who had multiple sclerosis, vote in every election no matter what. He knew just how important it was to make his voice heard and to do his part to ensure we have competent leaders in office. I'm not just talking about president of the United States; I'm talking about about mayors, governors, senators, county supervisors, and everyone else."

"We need them all to have our best interests at heart. These folks make decisions that affect our daily lives—from how our schools are run to how our neighborhoods are policed to how our tax dollars are used," Obama continued. "And voting is how we make sure the leaders in office reflect our values."

"When we all vote, we take our power back. And that's the other big reason I'm voting: because this election could not be more important, especially at a time of such uncertainty and upheaval. The truth is, a lot of folks are hoping we start questioning the power of our votes. So we've got to get registered and turn out—in person or through our mail-in ballots. It's the surest path to achieve the changes that we seek."