If there’s one celebrity who you can always count on to use their voice for good, it’s Rihanna.

She hasn’t achieved her icon status for nothing, after all – on top of being an all-around musical goddess, Rihanna isn’t afraid to speak out when she sees injustice unfolding. And in 2020 that voice has grown even louder, from her work to raise awareness of the recent #EndSARS protests in Nigeria to her efforts to help domestic abuse victims during lockdown.

All in all, then, it’s hardly surprising that Rihanna has used her platform to encourage her fans to engage with the 2020 US election – and as the votes continue to be counted, she’s not finished just yet. 

Indeed, after Donald Trump’s campaign (falsely) claimed victory yesterday and called the counting of mail-in ballots “a fraud on the American public,” Rihanna took to Instagram to send a vital message to the president, transforming her feed in the process.

Posting six separate Instagram posts, the singer made her feed read: “count every vote we’ll wait.”

She also posted a similar message on Twitter, where her name has been trending overnight.

It may be a simple statement, but in sending such a clear message to Donald Trump and his campaign (who have since sued several states over the counting of ballots), Rihanna has made one thing very clear: democracy is not – and will never be – up for debate. 

Of course, Rihanna isn’t the only celebrity speaking out about Trump’s attempt to claim victory in an election which isn’t over.

Lady Gaga took to Twitter yesterday to stress that “every single vote in this country matters, will be counted and will matter” later praising vote counters for their efforts.

“I have so much faith in the human spirit!” she wrote. “We’ve got this America! Sending EVERYONE A BIG HUG!”

Actor Kerry Washington also shared a number of tweets with the hashtag #CountEveryVote, responding to Trump’s claims that the votes being counted were “surprise ballot dumps”.

“Mail-in ballots are not a ‘surprise,’ they’re ballots,” she wrote. “They’re votes. And they need to be counted.”

Although no winner has yet to be declared in the US election, current predictions are leaning towards a possible Biden victory. 

But for now, as Rihanna has powerfully reminded us, it’s important that we sit back and wait for the final numbers to be recorded.

Waiting can be painful, but democracy is important.

Image: Getty