Written by John H. Merrill (R-AL), Alabama Secretary of State (2015 – 2023), and James C. Condos (D-VT), Vermont Secretary of State (2011 – 2023)
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Recently, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth directed military commanders to set aside a day for service members to register to vote, request absentee ballots, and vote; he sent a message that deserves every American's attention: Voting matters, especially to our men and women who are internationally deployed and protecting our country.
The October 1 memorandum directs commanders to provide time for voting assistance officers to allow for the completion of these tasks and meet the needs of military families, including spouses and voting-age dependents.
That meaningful commitment raises an equally important question: Are we doing everything possible to make sure our service members and their families can cast their ballots safely, securely, and on time?
As former Secretaries of State in Alabama and Vermont, and Chief Elections Officers for our respective states, we saw firsthand why this question matters. All UOCAVA voters (Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act) may be assigned to work thousands of miles from their voting residence, could be deployed aboard a ship, or serve in locations where international mail is slow or unpredictable.
In these situations, a ballot can travel a long way before it reaches a voter—and must make the return journey before the deadline. For these Americans, the postal system can become an obstacle to exercising a fundamental right.
In 2016, Alabama addressed that challenge and advanced electronic ballot delivery and return for eligible military and overseas voters covered by UOCAVA. Alabama conducted a voting pilot designed to help eligible overseas voters access and return ballots without relying entirely on international mail. Alabama's experience demonstrated the value of using technology to reduce logistical barriers for citizens serving or living abroad. At that point, Alabama became the first state in the union to allow for secure electronic ballot delivery and return. These options help address a problem geography alone should not create.
How a ballot is delivered and returned affects both its security and the likelihood of reaching election officials on time. International mail can delay or misdirect ballots, while ordinary email may lack the adequate protections of a purpose-built election system. We must distinguish routine electronic transmission from secure ballot systems designed for eligible UOCAVA voters.
Properly designed systems incorporate encryption, authentication, access controls, and monitoring, much like financial transactions. Secure cloud infrastructure, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), can support those protections, depending on its design, implementation, and administration.
Our objective should be to reduce risks and delays while protecting ballot integrity, privacy, and lawful handling.
For eligible UOCAVA voters, secure electronic ballot delivery and authorized electronic return methods deserve serious consideration. Service members should not have to rely on an unpredictable international mail process when secure, lawful alternatives are available.
Hegseth's stand-down offers states an opportunity to connect voting importance with the practical steps required to make voting possible. Service members need guidance on registration, requesting, and returning ballots. Voting Assistance Officers need current information, and election officials need systems that meet these voters’ deadlines.
Federal and state leaders share this responsibility. Federal leaders encourage participation, while states administer elections according to law and provide clear, reliable procedures. When implemented responsibly, technology can help bridge the distance between a service member and the ballot box.
Hegseth’s memorandum emphasizes that military voting assistance must remain strictly nonpartisan. The goal is to protect every eligible service member's freedom to make that choice independently.
Americans serving overseas should not have fewer practical opportunities to participate in an election or have to navigate unnecessary obstacles to exercise these rights simply because duty has taken them far from home.
The men and women who defend our country are being told to set aside time to vote. We should meet that commitment by making sure they understand their options and can use secure, lawful, and reliable methods to cast their ballots.
States should continue examining how secure electronic ballot access can serve eligible military and overseas voters.
If our military is willing to make time for voting, our election systems should be ready when they do.