Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is urging U.S. service members and their families to register and vote in the upcoming midterm elections.
In a video posted on X, Hegseth said roughly 300,000 service members were not registered to vote in 2024 and encouraged commanders to help get voting information to the force.
That number, he noted, is larger than the ballots cast in cities like Detroit, Boston, Milwaukee, or Seattle.
The Secretary pointed every warrior, spouse, and eligible family member to the Federal Voting Assistance Program site: FVAP.gov.
He told commanders the same thing: get out there and register them. “You’re not telling them who to vote for. You’re just telling them to vote.”
According to The Hill, about 67 percent of active-duty members were registered in 2024, a three-point drop from 2020. Roughly 71 percent of the 1.3 million active-duty force is eligible for special absentee protections because they are stationed away from home.
That is hundreds of thousands of Americans who put on the uniform and then sit out the election that decides whether they get sent to war.
Secretary Hegseth: “300,000. That’s how many of our warriors were not registered to vote, according to studies of the 2024 election. That’s more than the ballots cast in cities like Detroit, Boston, Milwaukee, or Seattle.
“As you know, the War Department exists to protect our nation and her freedoms. That includes the freedom to decide who leads us—and the right to vote. It’s why General George Washington crossed the Delaware River 250 years ago: for our right to determine our own American destiny.
“Regardless of your home state or current duty status, you can use a standardized federal postcard to register and request a ballot. And if you’re forward-deployed and your standard ballot is delayed, you can use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot. All of these processes are straightforward and protected by law.
“So I’m urging all of our warfighters, their spouses, and eligible family members: Go to FVAP.gov—FVAP.gov—and do it today.
“And commanders, get out the vote. You’re not telling them who to vote for; you’re just telling them to vote. And make sure our voting assistance officers—that was actually once my job for my 1st Platoon, 2nd of the 113th Infantry, down at Guantanamo Bay. I was the voting assistance officer, and I proudly got everyone in my platoon and the company registered to vote.
“So, our voting assistance officers, get out there and register your warfighters. Every warrior deserves an opportunity to cast his or her ballot and be confident that it will be counted.
“Keep our nation the land of the free and the home of the brave. Get registered and vote.”
WATCH:
TO OUR WARRIORS—MAKE SURE TO VOTE!
Visit https://t.co/3eIJe4DKJh to register and request your ballot. pic.twitter.com/H6RisErQWU
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) September 25, 2026
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