Out of the eleven celebrity guest appearances, eight episodes, and four hours worth of content, one moment from Meghan Sussex’s Netflix show stands above the rest.
In her new lifestyle cookery show, titled With Love, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, chronicles her favorite lifestyle tips. Along the way, she shares childhood memories and catches up with old friends.
However, some viewers were left confused after watching the season’s second episode. The moment happened when Meghan Sussex was in conversation with her friend and actor, Mindy Kaling.
The 43-year-old former royal quickly corrected Mindy after she referred to Meghan by her maiden name, instead of her official title, “Megan Sussex”.
‘It’s so funny, too, that you keep saying Meghan Markle,” smiled Meghan whilst plating a cucumber sandwich.
“You know I’m Sussex now…I share my name with my children… I didn’t know how meaningful it would be to me, but it just means so much to go ‘This is our family name, our little family name'”, she said.
The tradition of women surrendering their maiden names
The title ‘Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’ was bestowed on her by Queen Elizabeth II as a wedding present in 2018.
Whilst Meghan Sussex’s lavish, countryside lifestyle might seem very different from ordinary folk who lack any association with royalty, she is not alone in her decision to take her husband’s name. Almost 80% of women in heterosexual relationships choose their husband’s surname.
The tradition of women changing their names after tying the knot dates back centuries.
However, the ramifications of this cultural norm are more salient than ever in America, due to a new act that several influential Congressional Republicans are lobbying for.
The New Trump-Backed SAVE Act
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act was reintroduced by the Republican Rep Chip Roy of Texas on 3rd January 2025. However, it was first proposed by Donald Trump in the run-up to the most recent presidential elections.
Those in support of the Act want to tighten the existing 1993 National Voter Registration Act. This is in light of recent concerns about an alleged influx of non-citizen voting.
The new SAVE Act would enforce preventative measures against non-citizen voting by requiring voting individuals to show documentary proof of United States citizenship.
What counts as valid documentary proof will differ across the States, but some examples of generally acceptable forms of valid ID would include a US passport or a birth certificate indicating a US birthplace. The ID would then have to be brought in person to the polling stations.
What’s the issue here?
Enforcing this Act will threaten the voting accessibility of a significant proportion of the American electorate.
Rather controversially, government-issued IDs, such as a standard driving license or a US travel ID, are insufficient because you don’t necessarily have to be a citizen of the United States to be eligible for them. You also cannot use your military ID unless it is accompanied by a military service record that shows that you were born in the United States.
The main way that Americans can prove their citizenship is through a passport. However, only an estimated 45-50% of Americans hold a valid passport.
Over 21 million voting-age American citizens do not have access to the required forms of in-person identification, and this number is statistically higher for people of color.
This decision will also mean that Americans will be unable to vote by mail through online registration. Americans who are living abroad or in particularly rural areas, or have a physically restrictive disability, will be greatly affected by this decision.
As such, otherwise eligible American citizens will effectively be barred from voting.
1 in every 10 voting-age American citizens either don’t have a proof-of-citizenshup document or don’t have easy access to one.
Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement
As of January 2025, eight states require proof of citizenship to register to vote, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Amongst the Act’s Supporters are US Representative and Republican Mike Kelly, who argues that it is necessary to prevent non-citizens from voting in the elections.
How does this Act target married women?
Married women are one of the key demographics that would be particularly negatively impacted by this Act.
Under this new act, marriage certificates would not count as a valid form of American citizenship ID.
Many married women who have changed their last names recently will lack the correct documentation required for voting. According to Newsweek, 69 million married women in the United States have changed their names since getting married. This means that their legal surname is not the same as the one listed on their birth certificate. Unlike their husbands, they’re unable to show their birth certificate as valid voter identification.
Several voting rights groups have already warned against the Act. They argue that SAVE will trigger large-scale processing delays, as women up and down the country will rush to get their documentation in order.
The CEO of VoteRiders, an organization providing voter ID assistance, has described the new documentation rules as a “bureaucratic nightmare”.
This Act will not only complicate an already convoluted system but also make it harder for the women within this system who are fighting to be heard.
The TikTok Reaction
Several TikTok creators have also spoken out about the risk that this Act poses to women voters.
In one video, the creator warns, “This will affect every single woman.”
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat, Republican, or Independent. It doesn’t matter. I do not want to see this pass the Senate, let’s please wake up to this.”
“We are de-evolving backward to where women had to depend on their husbands’ vote to have their voice represented in government.”
The Plight of Transgender Voters
In a similar vein, it is likely that people who have changed their name to better align with their gender identity would also be affected by this Act.
For instance, many transgender people choose to go by a different name to their birth name. However, time-consuming and financial complications often prevent them from changing their name legally. Since their legal name would be different from the one on their birth certificate, their birth certificate would no longer count as a valid form of identification. This would make them unable to vote.
If passed, this Act would translate to a huge dip in voter numbers. One study estimates that over 3 million eligible voters identify as transgender.
Furthermore, transgender people tend to be more politically active than cisgender people. For instance, studies show that those who identified as transgender were more likely to vote in the 2020 election.
The Act has not made it passed the House or the Senate, and it would likely require bipartisan support to do so.
So whilst Meghan Sussex’s comment was probably intended as a harmless comment, it actually fits into the discussion surrounding this debate and the pressure that women voters are suddenly feeling.
A rose by any other name will still smell as sweet, but will it still be able to vote in the US elections?
For now, it remains uncertain.
