Overview
- The Department of War posted a formal memorandum on Friday directing commanders to hold a one-day voting stand-down in October to give service members time to register and submit Federal Post Card Applications (FPCA).
- Commanders must provide on-duty time for voting tasks if chosen, offer scheduling flexibility so troops can help voting-age family members, and ensure Voting Assistance Officers are available to process absentee requests.
- This year’s stand-down must be completed by October 15 and the memo establishes the measure as a recurring requirement every even-numbered October going forward.
- The directive includes an explicit ban on commanders, VAOs, or any leaders attempting to influence how service members or their families vote, and it was posted publicly to X after Hegseth’s recent public appeals to military voters.
- Coverage notes two tensions to watch: the policy could increase absentee turnout by removing administrative hurdles, and critics point to Hegseth’s recent campaign appearances for Republican candidates as raising questions about civil‑military norms.