By Emily Krauser
2:00 AM PST, November 4, 2020
In an election year that's strife on many accounts, including politically and due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was more important than ever to register to vote and then go out and do so. Celebrities did not shy away from encouraging people to vote. From their accessories and shirts to videos posted on social media, here's a look back at how big names like Selena Gomez, Reese Witherspoon, Lady Gaga, Gigi Hadid, Mariah Carey and Jonathan Van Ness encouraged voting in the 2020 presidential election.
Cardi B
The "WAP" rapper hit the polls early on Election Day.
Khloe Kardashian
The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star puckered up with her "I Voted" sticker on Election Day.
Jason Momoa
"#votewithlove," the Aquaman actor urged his followers on Instagram.
Octavia Spencer
"God shed His grace on thee!! #vote," the actress captioned her voting selfie.
Halsey
"I am anxious. I’m sure you are too. This is a bandaid. But a necessary action," the "You Should Be Sad" singer captioned her Instagram selfie on Nov. 2. "Empower yourself. Empower others. Empower the memory of those who didn’t have the ability to vote. For your ancestors and for your future. Sending Love. #BidenHarris2020 (@britneytokyo with the statement nailzzzz)."
Spike Lee
The director stuck his voting sticker to his forehead!
Marisa Tomei
On Nov. 1, the actress surprised early voters at the Dodger Stadium polling location in Los Angeles by handing out Milk Bar cookies as part of the Election Super Centers project.
Lady Gaga
Mother Monster modeled some voting looks on Instagram, writing, "I hope this Halloween I’m influencing you... to GET TO THE POLLS!! Use this audio and show me how you’re going to #ServeThePolls and visit gettothepolls.com to get more info on how to vote! ✔️🗳."
Zooey Deschanel and Jonathan Scott
"We voted! ❤️," Deschanel declared on Oct. 29.
Neil Patrick Harris
Mask up, sticker on! "Done. Voted. Appreciative of everyone who waited in a rainy line to have their voices heard, appreciative of all who worked inside with such focus, patience and resolve," the How I Met Your Mother alum shared via Instagram on Oct. 28. "If you haven’t yet voted, MAKE A PLAN. Take it seriously. Wait in line. Don’t rush. Be mindful. Be steadfast. Be proud. #vote."
Mariah Carey
The pop diva proudly showed off her sticker on Instagram on Oct. 28. "VOTE! 🗳️ #iwillvote #everyvotecounts #womenarevoting #yourvotematters #iamavoter #bidenharris2020," Carey wrote alongside her selfie, which also showed off a T-shirt that read "your voice matters."
Karlie Kloss
The model proudly held up her mail-in ballot while rocking a Biden-Harris mask. "What’s your voting plan?" Kloss asked her Instagram followers. "This was mine — signed, sealed, (notarized), and delivered ✅ #voteBLUE #scienceoverfiction."
Demi Lovato
The "Anyone" singer proudly snapped a selfie at Los Angeles' Skirball Cultural Center, where she cast her vote in-person while wearing a black mask that read "vote." "I vote because I love my country. From my friends and family members who live here, to my neighbors and millions of people I don’t know, I love the citizens here," she captioned her Oct. 26. 'gram. "This year I’ve been so stressed and anxious from politics alone. This post isn’t about telling you to vote for, it’s about telling you to vote PERIOD. I want to know that whatever the outcome is, we raised our voices and spoke up for what we wanted. And if change is what you want, nothing will change unless you take action. So please, if you are old enough, please get out there and speak up. P.S. I’m so grateful to have been able to vote because it wasn’t too long ago women didn’t even have those rights.. (see what happens when we demand change? 😜."
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds
The award for most meme'd voting photo will surely go to these two after Lively's #shoegate.
Gigi Hadid
The new mom snapped a selfie after voting absentee, with her baby daughter by her side. "I voted absentee... for an America I want her to see; but not just for us- for fellow Americans that are less privileged, with hope for a nation that is unified, that is empathetic, & for a leader that is compassionate," Hadid shared. "...IF YOU’RE VOTING EARLY IM PROUD OF YOU. IF YOU MAILED IN YOUR ABSENTEE BALLOT I’M PROUD OF YOU. (&& if you dropped it off at your County’s Board of Elections Office or at an Early Polling Site I’m proud of you!!) IF YOU’RE GOING TO THE POLLS ON NOVEMBER 3RD I’M PROUD OF YOU. Whatever your PLAN, I’m proud of you; make sure you have one!!!"
Lizzo
Leave it to Lizzo to vote with flair and style. "I VOTED. This is my 3rd time voting in my whole life. When you think about how few and far in between that is it really puts things into perspective!" she admitted. "I believe this is the beginning of making voting ACCESSIBLE and FAIR so that this country reflects its people. To all my activists, thank you for your constant organizing & service. Let’s get our vote in so we can get back to the good fight for true liberty and justice for ALL. Have YOU voted yet?"
Selena Gomez
"Just finished filling out my ballot!" the "Rare" singer proudly shared on Oct. 22.
Jonathan Van Ness
The Queer Eye star shared a frustrating story about his attempt to vote in Texas via an Instagram post, but luckily, all worked out in the end as JVN made sure his vote was counted. "The point is it took me like 4 hours to make sure my vote would count. How many others absentee ballots are lost?" Van Ness mused. "I encourage you to go to your counties election website and see what to do and if you can cancel it and vote early if possible. Thanks to all the election board and poll workers who helped me!! It’s not their fault but this system they are trying to work is hard so keep the faith & vote!! Love Y’all!"
Demi Moore
"I voted ✔️🗳 Letting my voice be heard!" the actress wrote on Instagram. "This could be the most important election of our lives... Get out and vote because it matters! Our future depends on it."
Hayley Kiyoko
The "Feelings" singer accessorized with a very important sticker. "I’ve never felt sexier, try it. ☺️ #vote," Kiyoko wrote on Instagram. "On another note please be apart of the most important election of our lifetime. We spend so much time wanting to be just like our favorite super heroes but in reality we can actually be our OWN SUPER HEROES. We are powerful, mighty, and can be undeniably united so let’s get him outta here."
Dita Von Teese
The burlesque queen found a very glam way to encourage people to vote.
Viola Davis
"WE Voted!! This is a year of wokeness and understanding that we have to be the change we want to see," the Oscar winner captioned this selfie with husband Julius Tennon."
Vanessa Hudgens
On Oct. 26, just days ahead of Halloween and a day after New York early voting opened up, the actress held a sign in NYC that read, "Nothing spookier than not voting."
Jessica Alba and Cash Warren
The couple that votes together! "Mom & Dad over here feeling productive. Even if voting is the only thing you do in a day, you’re able to feel like you did something major! It’s pretty amazing! GO VOTE!!! 🗳," Alba shared on Oct. 20, noting that the pair snapped this photo at home. "We believe in fairness, equality, and treating people with dignity. We are black and brown entrepreneurs. We are proud Americans. As importantly, we love being part of the GLOBAL Community. We believe in protecting our planet. We believe in helping those in need. We hate racists w a passion. Vote for BASIC HUMAN DECENCY. Our leadership needs to reflect that. Period.
✊🏽✊🏿✊🏻✊🏾✊🏼."
Zoë Kravitz
The High Fidelity star gave some sage beauty advice while puckering up to her mail-in ballot. "So. a lot of you have been asking me about my skin care routine: i start by voting as early as possible for #joebiden and #kamalaharris and all the other democratic candidates," she wrote on Instagram. "Then try some eye cream if you haven't been sleeping well because the president is a racist."
Jennifer Aniston
Alongside a photo of herself dropping her ballot off at a drop-off box, the Friends alum explained why she was voting for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. "I dropped my ballot off, and I did it early 👏🏼 I voted for them because right now this country is more divided than ever," she wrote, in part. "Right now, a few men in power are deciding what women can and can’t do with their own bodies. Our current President has decided that racism is a non-issue. He has repeatedly and publicly ignored science... too many people have died. I urge you to really consider who is going to be most affected by this election if we stay on the track we’re on right now... your daughters, the LGBTQ+ community, our Black brothers and sisters, the elderly with health conditions, and your future kids and grandkids (who will be tasked with saving a planet that our leadership refuses to believe is hurting). This whole thing isn’t about one candidate or one single issue, it’s about the future of this country and of the world. Vote for equal human rights, for love, and for decency."
Natalie Portman
The Thor star threw up a peace sign while showing off her vote sticker. She also shared a graphic that let fans know when they could begin early in-person voting in their states.
Lily Collins and Charlie McDowell
"Couples who vote together, stay together. We’re voting by mail and voting early!" the Emily in Paris star captioned a selfie alongside her fiancé. "If you’re voting by mail in California, make sure your ballot is postmarked before Election Day and sign up to track your ballot (link in my bio!)."
Faith Hill and Tim McGraw
The superstar country couple hit the polls with their daughter, Audrey, with all three rocking matching black masks for the occasion.
Conan O'Brien
The late-night talk show host took his mail-in ballot to his local dropbox on Oct. 20.
Tracee Ellis Ross
"TFW you make your voting plan and stick to it 🗳💁🏾♀️ yup, she voted y’all!" the Black-ish star shared on Oct. 18.
Ashlee Simpson Ross
The Ashlee+Evan singer outfitted her baby bump with an "I Voted!" sticker. "Get out and vote! No excuses!" she wrote on Instagram.
Kerry Washington
"OK @MichelleObama, challenge accepted. Even though my #VotingSquad can’t vote….#JosieB is helping me vote early and is coming with me to the ballot box for moral support 😍🙏🏾," the Little Fires Everywhere star shared on Instagram on Oct. 13. "I challenge @mariahcarey @sterlingkbrown, and @kourtneykardash to get their squads together and vote early too!"
Kevin Jonas
Also accepting Michelle Obama's #VotingSquad challenge? The oldest JoBro, who sent his mail-in ballot in for his home state of New Jersey.
Reese Witherspoon
"I did it! Did you? Feels good to exercise my right to VOTE. I like to think that ray of light coming through the trees 🌅is ALL of the women who came before me who did not have this fundamental right," Witherspoon shared on Oct. 16.
Dwyane Wade
The retired NBA pro sported the same tee as Washington, simply captioning his 'gram selfie, "Vote 🗳."
Laura Dern
"So proudly cast my ballot today!!" the Big Little Lies stare declared on Oct. 14. "Be sure to vote the way YOU see it!!"
Whoopi Goldberg
The View co-host shared a reminder with her fellow New York voters, reminding them, "when you fill out your mail in ballot go slow and follow the instructions. Make sure you sign and DATE the envelope and put them in the 2nd envelope the correct way. And don’t forget a stamp."
Jamie Chung
While exploring Badlands National Park in South Dakota while on a cross-country road trip with husband Bryan Greenberg, Chung showed off both the front and back of her long-sleeved red shirt by ASYSTEM x Studio Institute Bound Upwards Collection. Ten percent of sales from the Bound Upwards collection will be donated to Fair Fight, an organization led by Stacy Abrams with the mission of advocating for "free and fair elections, to ensure access to democracy for all."
Jack Black
One hundred days out from Election Day, the funnyman urged fans to vote with a mask set in '70s typeface, proceeds for which benefited Field Team 6.
Eva Longoria
In honor of National Women’s Equality Day, Longoria shared a photo of her and fellow Latina actresses and Voto Latino co-founders Gina Rodriguez, America Ferrera, Zoe Saldana and Rosario Dawson all rocking different voting shirts. "I actually think Latino millennials are super engaged…They are woke," Longoria expressed on a recent episode of The Dissenters podcast, adding that she wants even more people, not just Latinxs, get more involved in politics. "How do we engage people? My life's philosophy is not to not to speak up for women. I'm not speaking for women. I'm not speaking for Latinos. I'm telling you, speak for yourselves, stand up and speak for yourself. The best way to do that is to vote! Because the only time we are equal with the richest one percent and the poorest is in the voting booth. Both our vote is equal."
'Friday Night Lights' Cast
The cast of Friday Night Lights is encouraging their fans to vote in the upcoming 2020 presidential election. Stars from the hit NBC drama reunited virtually for a new video, shared to social media. Connie Britton, who portrayed Tami Taylor, kicked off the special message by exclaiming, "Y'all better check yourself!" Her former castmates then took turns asking fans whether they're even registered to vote. Toward the end of the video, Matt Lauria, who played Luke Cafferty, shared that he loves voting "because voting is my way of having a say in where our country is going in the future," while Adrianne Palicki, who played Tyra Collette, added, "It's so simple. There's no excuse not to vote."
Debra Messing
The Will & Grace star truly wore her heart on her sleeve, rocking the message "I am a voter" along the right arm of her white blazer. She wore the jacket in honor of #RegisterAFriendDay, which was 100 days out from the election. "Everyone has got to vote, and you can help make it super easy for your friends! Just tell them to text FRIENDS to 26797! That’s IT!" she explained. "You can register or verify that you are registered! Be a good friend and spread the news today. Why? Because if a friend tells you to vote, you’re 2x more likely to do it! Friends don’t let friends skip voting.🇺🇸."
LeBron James
The NBA star is helping to spearhead a multimillion-dollar effort to recruit poll workers ahead of the election in November. More Than a Vote -- which focuses on recruiting poll workers in Black communities and electoral districts through a paid advertising campaign and a corporate partnership program that encourages employees to volunteer -- aims to combat systemic voter suppression, according to multiple reports. Offset, Toni Braxton and more stars have also thrown their support behind the initiative, which James opened up about last week. Wearing a More Than a Vote T-shirt inside the NBA's quarantined campus in Orlando, Florida, he told reporters, "There are a lot of people who grew up in the inner city who are afraid to vote... We know how important November is, but more importantly even past November because it doesn't stop. We don't want it to stop."
Dove Cameron
The 24-year-old actress wrote the word "VOTE" with a marker on the inside of her hand to share the message that "Friends don't let friends skip elections."
Michelle Obama
The former first lady closed out the opening night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention in style, making a statement not just with her words but with a standout accessory. Obama addressed the American people during the virtual convention whlie subtly rocking a chic gold necklace with the letters "V-O-T-E," that got her point across in a stylishly low-key way. The necklace was a big hit with fans watching at home. As it turns out, the item was a personalized necklace from ByChari, created by designer Chari Cuthbert. "I had created a VOTE necklace for the last election and knew I was going to do it again," Cuthbert said in a statement to ET. "As we started our outreach, I was honored when Michelle Obama's stylist asked for one and am thrilled she is wearing it."
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
The Veep star, who gave a virtual speech at the Democratic National Convention, shared a selfie from when she first met Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. "Love this guy and he’s got my vote. #DemConvention," Louis-Dreyfus captioned the pic. "Text vote to 30330 – we need all hands on deck!"
Meghan Markle
The Duchess of Sussex teamed up with Michelle Obama's When We All Vote and participated in the United State of Women's virtual "Couch Party" titled "When All Women Vote" to celebrate the centennial of the 19th Amendment and encourage people to vote. "When I think about voting and why this is so exceptionally important for all of us, I would frame it as: We vote to honor those who came before us and to protect those who will come after us," Markle expressed. "Because that is what community is all about and that's specifically what this election is all about. We're only 75 days away from Election Day and that is so very close, and yet there is so much work to be done in that amount of time."
Kim Kardashian West and Chelsea Handler
The reality star and the comedian were both featured in a video released as part of Deon and Roxanne Taylor’s BE WOKE. VOTE initiative, in which the celebs encouraged people to make their voices heard in the upcoming election. Released in honor of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, the video celebrates all "the women before us who fought for our right to vote 100 years ago," by encouraging women to be courageous, aware, informed, mindful, proud, vocal and fearless in the upcoming election. "Share that information on all of your platforms. Make people aware of all the candidates," Handler said. At the end of the video, Blac Chyna, Kardashian West and Handler share one final message to voters. "Get woke, be woke and then stay woke," they say, before the campaign's hashtag, #LadiesBeWoke, flashes on the screen.
Yara Shahidi
The Grown-ish star shared a video of herself lipsyncing and dancing to Bob Marley's "Get Up Stand Up" to encourage fans to vote in November.
Bethany Joy Lenz, Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton
In honor of Register a Friend Day, the actresses virtually reunited as their One Tree Hill characters to encourage people to register to vote. All three women shared the video on Instagram, with Bush writing that they were "giving the internet what it deserves."
Katy Perry
Outfitted in patriotic gear, the then-pregnant pop star shared a video of her virtual performance for Democracy Summer 2020 on Instagram alongside an important message. "The young people of America are speaking loud and clear on the streets and online, and come November, it will be more important than ever to fight for justice and equality, and against systemic racism, with our ballots 🇺🇸," she wrote.