BOISE, Idaho — This story originally appeared in the Idaho Press.
A week of engagement and education seeks to highlight how, for Idaho's military members, voting can serve as a civic extension of their dedication to country.
Surrounded by members of the Idaho National Guard, Gov. Brad Little and Secretary of State Phil McGrane signed a proclamation Tuesday at Gowen Field announcing the week of Sept. 15, 2024 to be dedicated to both recognizing the importance of military members’ participation in elections and highlighting the ways current and former service members can get engaged with election efforts ahead of the general election this November.
"This is a big, very important election year, and we want as many citizens as possible to participate in our democratic republic by voting, especially our men and women serving in the military,” Little said in a press release on the proclamation.
Tuesday’s proclamation kicked off the start of a number of events slated for this week that are seeking to get more voters educated, recruit poll workers and have absentee ballots mailed to out-of-state military members.
According to the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP), about 47% of all active-duty military members voted in the 2020 election — compared to about 82% of civilians.
“Especially in your service, being able to weigh in on who the people are that are going to lead you and send you on these assignments is crucial,” McGrane said.
Absentee ballots will be sent out Friday to ensure that the military members overseas have the opportunity to participate in the upcoming national election, McGrane said. FVAP reported that, in 2022, 49% of military members who wanted to vote expressed difficulties requesting an absentee ballot and 39% didn't receive one at all.
"What’s the mail like between here and Kosovo?” Little asked, following the proclamation’s signing.
“We’ve got methods to get it there,” McGrane responded, to laughter from the audience.
To further engage military members, poll worker recruitment efforts, in coordination with Mission 43 — an Idaho organization dedicating to transitioning veterans to civilian life — will be looking to recruit both active and veteran service members for the upcoming election. Recruited service members will make up some of the more than 5,000 poll workers across the state that will be needed to conduct the election, McGrane said.
As part of the “Salute to Military and Veteran Voters Week,” a poll worker education event for current and veteran military members will be taking place Thursday at the Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse in Boise, located at 3179 E. Barber Valley Drive. The event, hosted by McGrane and Ada County Clerk Trent Tripple, will kick off with a press conference at 11:30 a.m., followed by a “Lunch and Learn” session at noon to inform attendees on the polling process ahead of the general election, a news release on the event said.
In addition to McGrane and Tripple, the event will feature guest speakers Ben Keiser, co-founder and executive chair of Vet the Vote — a national campaign to recruit veterans and military families to serve as poll workers— and Dan Nelson, director of the aforementioned Mission 43.
Tripple framed service as a poll worker as an opportunity for military members past and present to serve their country in a civic capacity.
"Poll workers play a vital role in our election system, and we rely on them to serve the community effectively on Election Day,” Tripple said in the release. “For veterans and military families, the spirit of service continues even after they take off their uniforms. It's a lifelong commitment to step up and serve our nation and we hope they answer the call to serve as the new wave of poll workers."
This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press, read more on IdahoPress.com.