Hegseth announces all US troops will get 1 day off to vote in October

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Friday that all U.S. troops will get one day off in October to vote in the 2026 midterm elections.

Hegseth said the stand-down order will be executed by Oct. 15 and will continue in even-numbered election years as part of a new and “apolitical” Pentagon “with all the right priorities.”

“Under the leadership of President Trump, we’re upholding things that are central to the defense of our republic and our American way of life, and we’re doing this because in the past voting for our men and women in uniform has been time-consuming and complex, as many warriors reside outside of their home state for obvious reasons,” Hegseth said in a two and a half minute video posted on the social platform X.

“They face unnecessary, difficult ways of obtaining, completing and returning absentee ballots while serving far from home,” he added.

The stand-down order will ensure service member training and the processing and submission of Federal Post Card Applications if service members decide to vote by absentee ballot, Hegseth said in a Thursday memo .

The announcement comes a week after the Defense secretary urged U.S. service members and their families to register and vote in the 2026 midterms, stating that about 300,000 troops did not register to cast votes two years ago.

“Regardless of your home state or current duty status, you can use a standardized federal postcard to register and request a ballot, and if you’re forward deployed and your standard ballot is delayed, you can use the federal write-in absentee ballot,” Hegseth said Sept. 25. “All of these processes are straightforward and protected by law.”

Like last week, Hegseth emphasized that he is not telling service members whom they should cast their ballots for.

“Now we’re not telling you who to vote for, but we will give you every opportunity to do so. It’s then up to you to exercise your right as an American to choose your elected leaders,” Hegseth said in the video.

Around two-thirds of active-duty military members were registered to vote in the 2024 election, a 3-point decrease compared with 2020, according to Federal Voting Assistance Program data.

“Voting is the way our Founding Fathers envisioned every citizen’s ability to participate in government,” Hegseth said. “We’re going to take the time to ensure that you can vote and that your voice is heard.”