As election day inches closer, most Americans don't have to think twice about where and when they will cast their ballot. However, it is not quite that easy for soldiers stationed overseas. Luckily, the Federal Voter Assistance Program has put several provisions in place to make the process a bit simpler, according to American Forces Press Service.
The cornerstone of the program is a website that includes an easy-to-navigate section where servicemembers can easily go over the absentee voting rules for their home state. Additionally, troops can register to vote online and there is a mobile app available to make the process even more streamlined.
"We firmly believe that voting assistance for our absentee voters is absolutely the best that it’s ever been," Federal Voter Assistance Program manager Pam Mitchell recently told reporters. "There are a lot of tools in our arsenal to help those voters both register, get an absentee ballot and to exercise their right to vote."
Despite the improved access, some election officials have been alarmed at the lack of absentee ballot requests among soldiers. In Virginia, there has been a 92 percent drop in requests compared to 2008, local radio station WMAL reports.