Veterans and the Vote

#Veterans are familiar with the struggle for #freedom and #democracy, having fought to protect the nation’s ideals at home and overseas. Once released from active duty, one of their most basic and important civic duties is to exercise the right to #vote.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are more than 16 million veterans in the United States today. Numbers are expected to decline in the near future, as the nation’s smaller #military engages in fewer and more limited conflicts. About 6% of the population has had military service as of 2022.

In the presidential election, both parties have veterans on the ticket for the first time in 20 years. Prior service doesn’t predict policy, so fellow veterans are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the candidates’ records on veterans issues before voting.

It’s a significant voting bloc that’s motivated by a range of issues. Veterans respond to “kitchen-table issues such as healthcare, education and the economy,” says The Hill, “but they are also concerned with, and directly affected by, national security and foreign policy matters.”

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs encourages veterans to vote and can point veterans and active-duty service members to voter registration resources, even those overseas. “VA is working to ensure all veterans can enjoy the rights that they earned and fought for,” VA says.

Vet the Vote is a national campaign to recruit veterans and military family members to become poll workers who can support safe, secure elections in a divisive political climate. In volunteering, veterans “show that it’s still possible for Americans to work together in patriotic service.”

If you would like to vote in honor of a veteran, many states have programs that allow registered voters name a veteran to ceremonially dedicate their vote — for whomever — to a specific veteran. File a form naming your honoree, and you’ll get a certificate, bumper sticker or lapel pin.

While its nonprofit status prohibits endorsement of specific candidates, Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) continues to advocate on behalf of veterans, and encourages every veteran from every era to exercise their right to vote by Nov. 5. #Vote!