Military members will receive a day to register to vote or submit ballots ahead of the November elections under a department wide directive from War Secretary Pete Hegseth. The order establishes a one day stand down focused on helping service members advance the voting process.

Commanders must complete the voting stand down no later than Oct. 15. That gives units a firm deadline to provide troops with the designated time during the coming two weeks.

Hegseth announced the move in a social media video, making clear that the effort is about access rather than directing the political choices of military personnel.

“Now, we’re not telling you who to vote for, but we will give you every opportunity to do so,” Hegseth said in the video.

The stand down will allow troops to work through the mechanics of registering or obtaining and submitting ballots. For military members serving away from their home states, those requirements can vary depending on the state involved.

Voting participation among military personnel generally reflects patterns seen across the broader public. Data from the Federal Voter Assistance Program shows that slightly less than half of active duty members voted in the last three presidential elections.

Participation has been lower during recent off year elections, when many seats in Congress are on the ballot but the presidency is not. In those contests, turnout among military members has been closer to one quarter.

The Federal Voter Assistance Program reported that about 47% of active duty personnel voted in 2020. It said 42% voted in 2024, while only 27% of eligible troops participated in 2022.

Service members can request ballots from their home states by using Federal Post Card Applications. The stand down gives them time to address that process rather than leaving the paperwork to compete with their normal schedules.

Troops will also be able to speak with voting assistance officers about registration and the specific requirements imposed by their states. Those officers can help service members understand what steps they need to take to participate.

Commanders will provide flexibility for military members who need to assist their spouses and dependents with the same process. The directive therefore extends practical help beyond individual troops to eligible members of their families.

The stand down puts Hegseth behind an effort to expand voting opportunities for military personnel. At the same time, the push conflicts with legal efforts by other branches of the Trump administration that have sought to limit voting by mail.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly argued that voting by mail is plagued by fraud and has lobbied for the practice to be abolished. His criticism has continued alongside court battles involving his administration’s attempts to change mail voting procedures.

Two weeks before Hegseth’s announcement, Trump responded to a court defeat by calling the system a “totally corrupt and out of control mail-in voting ‘disaster,’ which is a laughing stock all over the world.”

Earlier this year, Trump issued an executive order requiring the U.S. Postal Service to accept ballot envelopes carrying specific barcodes. The requirement would have effectively given the Postal Service control over mail voting.

The Supreme Court struck down most of that executive order last month. Even with that legal setback, the administration’s dispute over mail ballots remains a notable contrast with Hegseth’s department wide push to help troops request and submit ballots from their home states.

For service members, the immediate order is straightforward. Commanders must schedule the one day stand down by Oct. 15 and provide troops an opportunity to register, seek assistance, request ballots, or submit them for the November elections.

Hegseth’s directive does not tell troops how to cast their votes. It instead instructs the military chain of command to make time available so eligible personnel can navigate voting requirements and take part if they choose.