Mobile Voting is for
Military Voters and Their Families
Our nation’s bravest deploy across the globe to protect us. Access to their ballot shouldn’t be an obstacle for them. Mobile voting will help ensure service members have an accessible voting option.
The Problem
Federal law requires that all states permit military members to vote by mail. However, traditional voting options present difficult challenges for our soldiers serving around the world. In 2020, only 47% of eligible military voters cast a ballot. In 2018, only 26% voted. [Source: Federal Voting Assistance Program].
Servicemembers often lack reliable postal delivery, which is why Congress mandated in 2009 that they be offered an electronic ballot delivery method. But those options impose their own burden, requiring service members to have access to a printer in order to return their voted ballot. Even worse, if the postal return takes too long to be returned to their local election office then their vote won’t be counted. In fact, missed deadlines and late-arriving ballots lead to disproportionately high numbers of rejected ballots among our service members. Ballot rejection rates are as high as 21% in some states for military and overseas ballots. [Source: Election Administration and Voting Survey, 2020].
- 5 % increase in Military Voter Turnout in West Virginia.
- 50 % wouldn’t have voted otherwise.
Mobile Voting Benefits
Mobile voting is proven to make voting easier for military members and their families, helping them cast their ballots in minutes, regardless of where they are serving. A University of Chicago study of West Virginia’s mobile voting pilot in 2018 found that West Virginia’s military voter turnout increased by 3-5%. Similarly, in Denver’s pilot in 2019, military and overseas turnout nearly doubled for its municipal election. And 100% of survey respondents in Denver stated that they preferred to use mobile voting in the future. Military members are willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice for our country. They shouldn’t have to sacrifice their right to vote. Mobile voting will ensure they don’t have to.
Related News & Resources
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West Virginia officials want other states to adopt online voting for deployed troops“West Virginia was the first state to allow a mobile voting app option for military members — and officials there are hoping others will follow.”
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State of the Military Voter"About three-quarters of the 1.3 million active-duty military members are eligible to vote absentee with special protections because they're stationed away from their voting residence." Click the link below to learn more!
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Electronic Ballot Return for Military and Overseas Voters: Considerations for Achieving Balance Between Security and Ballot Access
Voting While Deployed - Military Voters Speak
Former service members describe their experiences attempting to vote while deployed. Mobile voting would help remove barriers and make voting easier for our service members to cast a ballot.
Have a Story to Share?
Are you a military voter who has faced difficulties casting your ballot? Have you participated in a mobile voting pilot? Share your story with us so others hear how mobile voting has helped you!