In light of the shocking assassination attempt on former President Trump, elections hit differently this year, regardless which side of the aisle you might find yourself.
As uncertainty mounts, it is not the time to coast into this important election cycle. Revered Civil Rights activist and politician John Lewis (1940-2020) said in 2012, “Your vote is precious, almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have to create a more perfect union.” As one of the original participants in the Freedom Rides, organizer of the march from Selma to Montgomery and more, Lewis understood in a more visceral manner than most the costs associated with that right — and the power in exercising it.
Military members surrender certain political rights when they don a uniform. As it says in the U.S. Dept. of Defense Directive 1344.10, “Members on active duty may not campaign for a partisan candidate, engage in partisan fundraising activities, serve as an officer of a partisan club, or speak before a partisan gathering.” Active duty members can, however, express personal opinions on candidates and issues as an individual, contribute to political organizations and attend political events when not in uniform. Of course, every military and family member is actively encouraged to exercise their right to vote.
In a 2020 Blue Star Families survey, 89% of active duty family respondents reported they are registered to vote, with 51% being registered at their home of record, 33% at their current installation, and 15% at a past residence or duty station. However, as of 2022, only 26% of active duty military members actually cast a vote, compared to 48% of the civilian population. Of those who did not vote but tried or wanted to, the most prevalent reasons included uncertainty regarding the procedures for absentee ballots, figuring out how to vote, reporting that the ballot did not arrive and that voting “was too complicated.” Service members who found assistance through a DoD resource were four times as likely to return their ballot in 2022, according to FVAP.
In 2022, 63% of service members expressed an interest in casting a ballot, but just 26% actually did. There are a multitude of reasons for this, such as logistical and administrative challenges, lack of awareness for resources, narrow time margins with multiple moves, and a sense of feeling uninformed about local issues. Sarah Streyder, executive director of Secure Families Initiatives and Space Force spouse, told the 19th, “I try to encourage folks to remember that you’ve lived all around the world, which has given you a really broad perspective about what’s possible, what forms of government can look like, what quality of life can look like that may be different from a more limited vantage point. That is a value add and a gift that you get to give your civilian neighbors back home when you vote.”
Moving from state to state makes the process challenging, but the Federal Voting Assistance Program, Blue Star Families, Overseas Vote, and the Dept. of Defense offer resources for domestic and overseas military families to cast their ballots. The Secure Families Initiative is a military-spouse driven effort anchored in the belief that “[mobilizing] our military family community to vote and advocate is not only the right thing to do on principle, but an effective way of reshaping our country’s conversations around military intervention,” and adding that because foreign policy affects military families, military families deserve a seat at the table. The organization features a variety of tools and resources to equip military families for advocacy, including voting.
Though it can be tempting to surrender to mounting political fatigue, the courage, tenacity and perseverance of citizens (and, importantly, military members) from past generations who sacrificed on behalf of others to secure their right to vote serve as strong reminders that the privilege and responsibility of voting is indeed not something to take for granted. With just over 100 days until the next presidential election, now is the time to find the resources you need to ensure you have enough time to cast your ballot. As you give so much to secure the nation’s freedom, don’t forget to exercise your own fundamental democratic right.
