Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged troops and families to register and vote in the midterms, citing federal forms to request absentee ballots and a write-in option if deployed ballots are delayed. The Supreme Court blocked the administration’s mail-ballot changes for now.
The September ruling stopped the administration from requiring states to use a standard ballot-envelope design and submit eligible-voter lists through an online portal. The plan would have allowed the U.S. Postal Service to refuse ballots from states that did not comply. States can continue using long-standing procedures.
The Federal Voting Assistance Program said about 67% of active-duty troops were registered in 2024, three percentage points fewer than in 2020. Nearly three-quarters of the 1.3 million active-duty service members are eligible for absentee ballots this year. Trump continues to urge Congress to pass the SAVE America Act; the White House says it provides a military exception while opposing universal mail-in voting.
