U.S. Air Force Airmen assembled to learn about their roles as Voting Assistance Officers (VAO) in the Anderson Hall auditorium, Jan. 23, 2024.
With the 2024 voting season approaching, there are plenty of resources available to assist Airmen and their voting needs.
“Everybody has a right and a responsibility to vote as an American citizen,” said Brian Griffiths, Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) senior program analyst. “For military voters, spouses and independents who accompany them in their duty station, it is harder because they are voting by absentee ballot. The FVAP office exists to facilitate that process and make it easier for military voters and their spouses to vote, if they choose to do so, from anywhere around the world.”
The right for military members to vote is protected by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizen Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) of 1986. The UOCAVA ensures that military members and their families can vote by submitting a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) and a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB).
The easiest way to find and receive information about the FPCA and the FWAB is to visit FVAP.gov, which also contains information about elections in every state, how to register, and the ability to request a ballot for your elections.
If an Airman or spouse has further questions about the voting process, they can contact their VAO. Every base has several representatives, some assigned to units and one or two assigned to the whole installation.
“Airmen PCS a lot and it may be a struggle to know if they are registered to vote or not,” said Anthony Williams, 47th Flying Training Wing installation voting representative, “We help Airmen understand the processes they need to go through to get their ballot in time to vote.”
With every state having its own rules in regards to voting, the process of casting an absentee ballot may seem like a daunting task.
The FVAP gives Airmen and their families the tools needed to have their voices heard, no matter where they are stationed.
| Date Taken: | 01.30.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 02.07.2024 16:31 |
| Story ID: | 462762 |
| Location: | LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 11 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Preparing Airmen to vote from around the world, by SSgt Nicholas Larsen, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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