JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas –
The Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Military & Family Readiness Center will conduct a training workshop for voting assistance officers, Family Support & Readiness Groups and networks of military Ombudsman and Key spouses from 9-11 a.m. Feb 28 at the JBSA-Lackland Arnold Hall Community Center.
The workshop will cover the roles and responsibilities of voting assistance officers, or VAOs, who help service members in exercising their right to vote as provided by the Federal Voting Assistance Program, or FVAP, said Tracy Bramlett, JBSA-Lackland M&FRC community readiness consultant.
FVAP is a Department of Defense Program that ensures service members, their eligible family members and overseas citizens are informed on their right to vote and how to do so from anywhere in the U.S. and the world.
Bramlett said the workshop will be facilitated by Clarissa Rodriguez, an FVAP program analyst with the Office of the Undersecretary of the Department of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. Rodriguez will provide comprehensive hands-on training and give VAOs the opportunity to provide feedback.
The workshop will include discussions on upcoming changes to FVAP and other topics related to the duties of VAOs, Bramlett said.
“It will include critical information on the absentee voting process and the resources and tools needed for the success and performance of VAO duties,” Bramlett said.
Appointed by a unit commander, VAOs assist active-duty members within their units, military family members and overseas DOD civilian employees in exercising their right to vote by providing and connecting them with the resources, tools and forms needed to do so.
Bramlett said VAOs can assist active-duty members and DOD civilians overseas with obtaining knowledge of the process for submitting an absentee ballot if they are stationed or assigned away from the place they are registered to vote at.
VAOs and any JBSA member who is interested in attending this workshop can register for it by contacting the installation voting office at JBSA-Lackland, 210-671-3722 or 210-671-3723 or emailing lackland.vote@us.af.mil.
JBSA members who need information on voting can contact the JBSA-Lackland Installation Voting Office as well as voting installation offices at JBSA-Randolph, 210-652-5321 or randolph.vote@us.af.mil; or at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, 210-221-8683 or usaf.jbsa.502-abw.mbx.502-fss-votingassistance@mail.mil.