JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas –
State primary elections have begun and the Federal Voting Assistance Program has geared up to help military and U.S. citizens register to vote and request their ballots for absentee voting in the primaries over the next few months and in the Nov. 6 general election.
The 2012-13 voting cycle motto is, "It's a freedom that you defend - vote!" This is the message Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz gave in a recent public service announcement that can be viewed on AF.mil, the Air Force's public web site, at www.af.mil/news/video/index.asp.
Air Force Voting Action Officer, William D'Avanzo said, "Military members do register to vote at a higher rate than the general population, but we run into trouble when we wait too long to request or return our ballots to our local election officials. It's important for voters to send in their Federal Post Card Application well in advance of an election, preferably
a minimum of 90 days beforehand."
"We're set up to assist voters with registration and their ballot requests. We'll even send in a back-up Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot in case their state doesn't get their ballot back to them on time," Capt. Lionel Garcia, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland's Installation Voting Assistance Officer.
Garcia, who heads up the Installation Voter Assistance Office, said, "Squadron members don't even have to leave their units. We have unit voting assistance officers who can walk voters in their squadrons through the process to exercise their right to vote."
The Installation Voter Assistance Office is located in the Military Personnel Flight Building, Room 261. The FVAP web site is set up for automated application and absentee ballot services if voters are unable to visit their local voting office or unit assistance voting officer for help.
Visit www.fvap.gov and click on the appropriate link in the "Quick Links" area at the bottom of the page. Voters who want to find a local Installation Voter Assistance Office can also use the "Quick Links" area by clicking on "Locate a Voting Office Near You".
For details on the Federal Voting Assistance Program, visit www.fvap.gov or contact Garcia at vote.lackland@us.af.mil.