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Army Voting Assistance Program

Monday, August 22, 2016

What is it?

The Army Voting Assistance Program informs and educates Soldiers and their eligible dependents on their right to vote. The goal is to encourage the Army community to participate in the nation’s voting process.

What has the Army done?

The Army has appointed Voting Assistance Officers (VAOs) to provide assistance to Soldiers, eligible family members and Department of the Army Civilians. VAOs assist in the voting process to ensure registration and voting materials are available to all eligible Army voters stationed worldwide. They help the Army voters to register, request an absentee ballot and cast their vote.

In addition, the Military Postal Service Agency (MPSA) has fielded a special ballot return label, which allows voters to track their completed ballot from their overseas location, all the way to their local election official. As part of this program, the MPSA and the U.S. Postal Service will provide free express mail service for returning ballots during the period lasting from Sept. 1 through Nov. 8, 2016, to ensure everyone has the opportunity to have their vote counted.

What continued efforts are planned for the future?

Since the adoption of the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act, the Army has appointed installation VAOs to each installation to assist the unit VAOs.

This VAO team will continue to inform the service members, Families, and civilians about the voting process and provide voter materials to eligible voters, including Continental United States Department of Army Civilian personnel who request voter information and guidance. This includes material on the voting process, requesting absentee ballots and mailing the completed ballots.

Why is this important to the Army?

The voting process is a key element in the nation’s governmental process. The Army Voting Assistance Program provides the outstation Soldiers, Families and civilians the resources necessary to exercise their voting right.

The Army would like to ensure every eligible voter has the opportunity to exercise their constitutional right to vote.

Resources:

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