Hegseth Urges Troops to Vote in Midterms While Hinting at GOP Advantage
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth encouraged U.S. service members and their families to vote in the midterm elections. He pointed to unregistered military voters and named several Democratic-leaning cities, suggesting the military vote could matter in close districts. Hegseth also told commanders to promote voting while saying they should not tell troops whom to support.
Hegseth, the defense secretary, used a video message to encourage military personnel and their families to participate in the midterms. He said roughly 300,000 service members had not registered in 2024, a figure he compared with ballots cast in Detroit, Boston, Milwaukee, and Seattle.
He noted federal postcard registration and write-in absentee options for deployed personnel. He instructed commanders to promote voting but not to recommend candidates. The remarks came as Republicans face difficult midterm conditions and as Trump’s popularity is described as declining.
The effort could affect service members, their families, and voters in close districts, where even small shifts in absentee participation may matter. It may also increase scrutiny of how commanders discuss elections, since military voting is meant to remain nonpartisan. If personnel feel pressured or the effort is perceived as partisan, trust in military leadership and election administration could suffer. Clearer voting information may also help eligible troops overcome registration and deployment barriers.