Hegseth directs military vote effort amid praise and skepticism

In a video statement, Hegseth encouraged service members and their families to vote, noting that the "war department exists to protect our nation and her freedoms." He specifically mentioned the availability of standardized federal postcards for registration and ballot requests, as well as the federal write-in absentee ballot for those deployed abroad. Hegseth also issued an explicit directive to U.S. commanders to "get out the vote," clarifying that they should encourage participation without specifying a candidate.

Hegseth cited a 2024 presidential election analysis, claiming that 300,000 "warriors" were not registered to vote that year, a number he contrasted with the vote counts in cities like Detroit, Boston, Milwaukee, and Seattle. The order applies to America's 2.1 million service members.