4 Celebs Who Didn't Mince Words About The Importance Of Voting (They Said What They Said!)

Hollywood and politics might be two different spheres. Still, plenty of celebrities like to use their platforms to advocate for causes they care about. In particular, this includes getting out the vote. Nonprofits like Rock the Vote work to leverage celebrity cool factor to activate young voters to hit the polls and get involved in local politics. At the dawning of the United States, voting rights were limited to white adult male property owners. It wasn't until 1919 that women won the right to vote, an occasion that is marked annually with Women's Equality Day. Several decades later, in 1965, the Voting Rights Act declared that ones race nor education status could bar them from voting. This landmark legislation led to millions of new voter registrations, expanding public participation in elections for decades to come.

Despite this progress, more than 100 years later, voting rights still have significant room for improvement. In 2021, former First Lady Michelle Obama penned an open letter calling for federal voting rights legislation that would help protect against voter suppression. Obama is a celebrity unto herself, of course, but the bill had tons of star backing, from over 70 celebrities. The signature list was a veritable who's who of Hollywood, including A-listers like Leonardo DiCaprio, Hailey Bieber, and Jennifer Lopez. Why such passion for the democratic process? "The lesson I've learned is that you can't just vote when you're excited," said actor, director, and activist Tyler Perry, according to Oprah.com. "When you say 'I'm not gonna vote,' you are voting—to hand over your power."

Jennifer Aniston, famous for starring on the '90s TV show as Rachel Green, weighed in on the importance of voting with an Instagram statement. "Today not only did I vote for access to health care, for reproductive freedom, for equal rights, for safe schools, and for a fair economy, but also for SANITY and HUMAN DECENCY," she wrote in an October 2024 post [via USA Today]. "We are so lucky we get to VOTE and this election is in our hands!"

Aniston has influenced the beauty world but she's not stopping there. It wasn't the first time she's waded into the political fray. In July 2024, she made political headlines when she fired back at then-vice presidential candidate JD Vance for his disparaging comments about childless cat ladies. "Mr. Vance, I pray that your daughter is fortunate enough to bear children of her own one day," said the A-lister, whose tragic struggles with infertility have been public, in an Instagram story [via the Los Angeles Times]. "I hope she will not need to turn to IVF as a second option. Because you are trying to take that away from her, too.

Neil Patrick Harris urged fans to hit the polls safely with an October 2020 post to Instagram. Harris shared a selfie of himself in a mask, since the COVID-19 pandemic was a major consideration during the 2020 Presidential election. "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," wrote Harris. "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."

Harris went further in 2024, reiterating his enthusiasm for the democratic process and encouraging fans to get engaged with the political contests that were less profile than the presidential election. The image was a graphic of the repeated word "Vote." "Please vote," he wrote in the caption. "And take a few additional minutes to familiarize yourself with not just the candidates down the ballot, but the measures and propositions as well. Be informed, and be empowered. Voting is a privilege that many don't have... so take your time, do it with knowledge and pride. #grateful."

During the 2020 election, Reese Witherspoon cast her absentee ballot and shared an Instagram selfie with a winking acknowledgment to the suffragettes. "I did it! Did you? Feels good to exercise my right to VOTE," she wrote. "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." The actress proudly displayed her red, white, and blue "I voted" sticker and urged fans to share their own. "Have you sent your ballots in??" she asked. "Text me a photo of your 'I Voted' stickers!" Witherspoon is all about uplifting women and underrepresented voices — for example, getting picked for Reese's book club changes everything for an author and their work — so this message was on brand for the A-lister.

The "Legally Blonde" star doubled down on the message with an Instagram post in 2024. "Quick reminder that your opinions belong to you! Voting is a freedom that you get to exercise in private and it's no one's business but your own," she wrote [via Yahoo]. "So vote for the candidates you believe in," she wrote in the caption. "It's an honor to have the right to vote. So go do it!"

Celebrities like Selena Gomez have leveraged their massive social media following to get the word out about important voting rules. In 2024, Gomez used a video posted to X to encourage fans who might be stuck in long poll lines. "Hey guys, I hear that there are really, really long lines today. And I just wanted to make this video really quick to say: Please stay in the line," she said. "Long lines are really frustrating and annoying, and I know they're not fun, but we need your voice and vote for your future."

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— Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) November 5, 2024

Most importantly, she used the opportunity to remind voters of their rights. "And if you are in line before the polls close, stay in line," she said. "Even after closing, polls will stay open until everyone in that line has voted. If you are in line before the polls close, you have a legal right to vote." There won't be any Selenators getting disenfranchised anytime soon.