FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – As the Nov. 3 general election approaches, Soldiers and their Family members who are eligible to vote can access local and absentee voting registration resources on Fort Campbell.
The Fort Campbell installation voting assistance office is conveniently located in Room 213 at the Soldier Support Center, 2702 Michigan Ave., and the staff welcomes the chance to help Soldiers and their Family members decide where to vote.
Voting locally
Fort Campbell Soldiers and their Family members who are residents of Kentucky or Tennessee can vote locally. The deadline to register to vote in both states is Oct. 5.
“You can go to your local post office and they will have voter registration cards you can fill out or go to the election commission office,” said Betty Guthrie, installation voting assistance officer. “Each unit also has a voting assistance officer, so Soldiers can go to them as well.”
Guthrie also recommends Soldiers visit https://www.fvap.gov website to look at different registration options and deadlines by state.
“You need a photo ID to register to vote and piece of mail with their current address for the state,” Guthrie said.
Your polling place is listed on your voter registration card and you also can find that information by visiting www.nass.org/can-i-vote/find-your-polling-place, or by contacting your local election commission.
Early voting in Montgomery County begins Oct. 14 and ends Oct. 29, and takes place at the Montgomery County Election Commission, 350 Pageant Lane, Suite 404, Clarksville. Tennessee does not offer no-excuse mail-in ballots. Absentee ballots are available to voters with pre-existing medical conditions and their caretakers. For eligibility requirements and application, visit https://sos.tn.gov/products/elections/absentee-voting.
Early voting in Christian County begins Oct. 5 and ends Nov. 2. Early votes can be cast Oct. 5-Nov. 2 at the Christian County Clerk’s office, 511 S. Main St., Hopkinsville, and Oct. 12-Nov. 2 at a second location, the Christian County Sheriff’s Office, 701 W. 7th St., Hopkinsville. Kentucky voters also can opt for no excuse mail-in ballots that must be requested by Oct. 27, and be submitted by mail or in person by Nov. 3.
Absentee
Fort Campbell Soldiers and their Family members who are out-of-state residents have the option to vote absentee.
“For members of the military, they can choose to vote absentee if their residence is in a different state even if they are stationed here in Kentucky,” Guthrie said. “They can register to vote online, at the https://www.fvap.gov website, and the ballots will be mailed to them.”
Voting absentee might be a good choice for Soldiers who are not sure where they call home yet, Guthrie said.
“We see some Soldiers and spouses who might have a driver’s license from Ohio, but their last address is in California and they are PCSing to New York, and they aren’t sure where they want to vote,” Guthrie said. “In this instance, we generally ask them if they were to retire which state would they choose to retire in and do they have an address there? If they have an address there, we can help them claim it. We mostly see the questions of which state is it easiest for me to vote in, and which states do I want to vote from? We can help them make those choices.”
Guthrie encourages Soldiers to seek help from their voting assistance officers in their unit, but they also can see her for any voting questions they have.
“You can just drop in to see me and you can register to vote with me as well,” Guthrie said. “I recently helped a Soldier who came in and wanted to register to vote online by didn’t have a computer and we were able to help him here.”
Guthrie urges Soldiers and their voting eligible Family members to pay attention to registration deadlines for voting locally or for voting absentee.
“You need to remember the deadline for registering is important, it’s individually based on the state and county where they are registered to vote, and if the deadline passes so does your opportunity to vote,” Guthrie said. “Waiting until the last minute is not going to help your vote, especially absentee when you are also relying on the postal service to send it within a limited amount of time.”
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