Hegseth urges troops to register for 2026 elections

Hegseth’s voting appeal

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday urged U.S. service members and their families to register and cast ballots in the 2026 midterm elections. He said 300,000 troops did not register to vote two years earlier, using that figure to press military households to complete the registration process ahead of the upcoming elections.

Hegseth said service members can use a standardized federal postcard to register, regardless of their home state or current duty status. He presented the postcard as a registration route for troops whose military assignment may be outside their home state. His appeal included both troops and their family members, extending the message beyond people currently serving.

What the request means

Hegseth’s statement calls for two separate steps: registering and then voting. Registration places an eligible voter on the voter rolls, while casting a ballot is the act of participating in the election. His reference to 300,000 troops focused on the first step rather than the number of ballots cast.

The 2026 midterms are the elections named in Hegseth’s appeal. His instruction about the federal postcard addresses how military voters can begin registering when their home state and duty circumstances differ. Service members and family members must still take action to participate; the statement itself does not register them or cast a ballot.