Honor Their Service by Voting This November

Voting isn’t just a civic duty; it’s our Constitutional right.

One of our most basic constitutional rights as Americans is to choose our nation’s leaders, and that chance is coming up quickly. For military members, spouses, and even teens, the process of voting might seem confusing, but we’ve got your back. We want to make sure you have every chance to register and cast your vote in November.

Get Ready to Vote

If you're not registered, your window to do so is quickly closing. Chances are, you’re probably not living in the state where you're registered, and that’s ok! Service members and eligible family members are allowed to vote via absentee ballot—which means you vote by mailing in your ballot instead of going to a poll location. But you'll need to request a ballot through your state first. Want to vote early? Some states allow that too.

For deadlines, additional information on voting, or to look up your state requirements, the Department of Defense (DoD) has a nifty interactive guide for military families like yours!

Civic Duty and Military Service

We should mention that there are some “do's and don'ts” specific to service members regarding political activity. The DoD even has some pretty well-defined directives to which they are required to adhere, but keep in mind these do not apply to military family members. For example:

• No marching or riding in political parades.
• No display of partisan political signs at one's residence in military housing.
• Don't wear your uniform to, or be an official Armed Forces representative at, any partisan political event.
• Don't speak before any partisan event or gathering that promotes a specific cause or candidate.

But here’s what they can do:

• Register to vote.
• Express your personal opinion about candidates…just not as a representative of the Armed Forces.
• Display political bumper stickers on your personal vehicle (but nothing bigger).
• Attend partisan events, rallies, or other activities as a spectator not in uniform.

So many elections in our nation's history have been decided by a margin smaller than 1%. From presidential elections to legislative elections, every vote matters—your vote matters. What better way to honor our nation’s service members and their sacrifice than by exercising the very rights they have sworn to protect?