Exercising right to vote important even in 'off' years

All Hands, August, 2005 by Samantah L. Quigley

Service members and citizens overseas should participate in local off-season elections, the director of the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) said recently.

"I think it's always important for us to exercise our right to vote," Polli Brunelli said. "We've seen from past elections that our uniformed services members and overseas citizens vote in large numbers. They're engaged in the absentee-voting process, and some actually vote in person, as well."

Just because this is not a presidential election year does not mean this election is not important, she added. Many elections will decide state and local issues.

Brunelli said it's important for absentee voters to look at all of the issues, state and local, which concern them in their state of legal voting residence. But it is up to each individual voter to decide what issues are important and to research the candidates.

Military members or other citizens overseas can contact their unit or installation voting-assistance officer, call the FVAP, or send an e-mail via the FVAP Web site at www.fvap.gov.

Story courtesy of Samantha L. Quigley, American Farces Press Service.