These days, the news frequently makes us feel like we have no tears left to cry. Between suspicious purgings of voter rolls, devastating natural disasters, and the palpable outrage over Justice Brett Kavanaugh, it can seem like there’s nothing we can do to move our country in the right direction. And we get it, that lack of control can make us feel totally bummed and cynical. But Ariana Grande reminded us that voting is one of the most important ways we can make a difference — and she believes in voting so strongly that she took time out from her social media fast to send this crucial message.
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On her Instagram Story, Grande posted a photo of a sealed absentee voter ballot envelope (presumably, her own), with a simple caption reading, “vote, fuckers," followed by a heart symbol, naturally. She didn't endorse any candidates or give us an idea of who she voted for, but that isn't as important as her reminding us to vote, period.
Folks mailing in absentee ballots for the 2018 midterm elections are encouraged to do so as early as possible. Grande isn’t just reminding us to vote — she’s also emphasizing that absentee ballot voters should mail their ballots early to ensure that their votes are received by the November 6 postmark deadline.
Grande’s voting moment comes after Taylor Swift famously broke her political social media silence earlier this month. Swift endorsed Senate candidate Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper for the House in her home state of Tennessee. After Swift posted her message, at least 105,000 people registered to vote, reported Time. It’s unclear if Grande’s post will also correlate with a spike in voter registration, but one thing is for sure: the light is coming if we all exercise our ballot power on Election Day.
Go here for more information about state deadlines and here for our guide on how to register to vote.