The United States Presidential Elections 2020 have been making all the headlines since today morning. While votes are being cast by the minute, there are some Hollywood celebrities who will never forget this year’s elections, primarily because this is a first-time experience for them. The list includes world famous personalities including the likes of rappers Offset, Kanye West and Snoop Dogg, singers Selena Gomez and Kelsea Ballerini, Ryan Reynolds and Tan France among many others. While they are not proud of the fact that they have made their debut as voters at a later stage in their lives, some of them claim they never felt their votes mattered before while others who were born in other countries are exercising their right to vote after having been granted US citizenship. Here’s a lowdown of the American celebrities to have cast ballots in a first:
Ryan Reynolds
The actor, who was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, revealed on social media that he has voted for the first time in a US presidential election. The Deadpool star confirmed his vote on Instagram with a picture he uploaded alongside his star wife, Blake Lively. “This is my first time voting in America. I’d like to thank my wife Blake for making my first time so gentle and loving. It was super scary at first, then exciting and now I’m a little tired. But proud. #VoteEarly,” the 43-year-old quipped. Reynolds can be seen holding on to his mail-in ballot in the image.
Selena Gomez
“Just finished filling out my ballot,” the singer wrote on the photo-sharing platform. She posted a photo clad in a black tank top, with a circular ‘I Voted’ badge attached. Earlier, Gomez shared why 2020 is the first time she’s casting her vote. “Honestly, I’m not ashamed to say this but I kind of — this was my first time,” she said during her Voting Power Hour appearance on October 24. “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 in to this, it’s been all I can focus on.”
Snoop Dogg
Rapper Snoop Dogg announced his voting plans in June this year. A vocal opponent of Donald Trump’s presidency, the rapper explained that he is out to make a difference in the 2020 elections and wants to lead by example. While speaking with the hosts of Real 92.3’s Big Boy’s Neighborhood radio show in June, Snoop Dogg said, “For many years they had me brainwashed thinking that you couldn’t vote because you had a criminal record,” he explained. “I didn’t know that. My record’s been expunged so now I can vote. I ain’t never voted a day in my life, but this year I think I’m going to get out and vote because I can’t stand to see this punk [Donald Trump] in office one more year.”
Kanye West
The American rapper took social media by storm when he revealed his plans of running for president in this year’s election against President Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden. In an interview with an American business magazine shortly after launching his campaign, Kim Kardashian’s husband confirmed he registered to vote in Wyoming and that it would be his first-time voting. Wow, didn’t see that coming!
Kelsea Ballerini
She informed her Instagram followers that it will be her first time casting a vote in a presidential election this year. But the singer also mentioned that its not something she is proud of. She penned, “embarrassingly but honestly, this is my first-time voting. I’m not proud of it, but my naivety has kept me sheltered through a lot of my young adult life. BUT. As I’ve listened and learned, I’ve realized it’s our responsibility and privilege to use our voices to establish what we as human beings with beating hearts want to see in this country for not only ourselves…but our friends, neighbours, strangers, and future generations,” she wrote alongside a picture where she is seen wearing a t-shirt with ‘Cool Girls Vote’ printed on it.
Mike Tyson
The American professional boxer took to his Instagram handle and wrote, “First time voter,” with the same written on his white tee too. “This election will be my 1st time voting,” he tweeted in honour of National Voter Registration Day on September 22 with a call to action for his followers. “I never thought I could because of my felony record. I’m proud to finally vote,” Tyson added.
Jana Kramer
Clicking a selfie with her husband Mike Caussin outside their polling station, the One Tree Hill starlet wrote, “I don’t know why but I always felt like my vote didn’t matter. But this year I just felt differently and I know more than ever it does matter.” Questioning her fans on Instagram, she added, “Are you going to vote? And not gonna lie I always wanted to feel Instagram cool with the I voted sticker and they “ran out” so @vistaprint mask for the win but let’s be honest voting is more important than the sticker.”
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Billie Eilish
The No Time To Die hit maker emphasized on the importance of first-timers exercising their right to vote in November this year. “I wish I didn’t have to do this but it’s come to this point and it’s really important,” Bille said in a video launching a voting initiative. “If you care about yourself, if you care about your friends and racial injustices and climate change, then you’ve gotta vote. Like, there’s no excuse at this point.”