US election 2020: Meghan Markle likely to become first British royal to vote Tuesday

Meghan Markle is expected to make history on Tuesday, Nov. 3, by becoming the first member of the British royal family to exercise her right to vote.

Meghan Markle, a citizen of California by birth, became a British royal in May 2018 after tying the knot with Prince Harry. As a royal, the former American actress was supposed to be strictly neutral concerning political matters, she wasn't allowed to cast her vote, or publicly express her political opinion.

However, after becoming a non-working royal in March 2020, the Duchess of Sussex was once again able to actively participate in the discussions about politics. She is also eligible to cast her vote in California, where she lives in Santa Barbara with her husband Harry and son Archie.

With this, the 39-year-old will break records by becoming the first British royal to cast her vote. Though she hasn't confirmed that she will be exercising her voting rights, missing the opportunity seems unlikely for the "Suits" alum who previously cold-called American voters encouraging them to vote.

The mother-of-one has remained politically active this election season, requesting Americans to cast their vote in the "most important" polls. During an appearance on the 2020 TIME 100 TV special in September, Meghan said: "Every four years we are told the same thing, that this is the most important election of our lifetime. But this one is. When we vote, our values are put into action and our voices are heard."

Harry also requested voters to exercise their rights, while talking about how he has never been able to cast his vote in the UK because of the restrictions that come with being royalty. The Duke of Sussex also noted that he will not be able to vote in the US since he has not yet become a permanent citizen.

"This election, I'm not going to be able to vote here in the US. But many of you may not know that I haven't been able to vote in the UK my entire life. As we approach this November it's vital that we reject hate speech, misinformation, and online negativity," the 36-year-old said.

Meghan had cast her vote in the last US presidential elections in 2016 as well, confirming it in a post on her now-defunct lifestyle blog "The Tig," reports Hello! magazine. The actress had written: "I ticked the boxes on my absentee ballot last week, closing my eyes and thinking of my great grandparents who didn't have this right (and thinking of how it would have changed the lives of my grandparents if they had). So on this day we urge you to exercise said right."