Military Recruiter Information

The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 requires that individuals be given the opportunity to complete a voter registration form or to change their voter registration data when applying for or receiving services or assistance at any office designated as a voter registration agency, which includes all Recruiting Offices of the Armed Forces. All personnel assigned to duty at Recruiting Offices for the Armed Forces shall be trained and capable of providing these services or assistance.

Recruiting Officers and Senior persons at Recruiting Offices Must:

  • Offer the Voter Registration Information Form (DD 2645) and a National Mail Voter Registration Form and Guide to anyone receiving services/assistance. The National Mail Voter Registration Form allows citizens to: Register to vote in their state, report a change of name to their voter registration office, report a change of address to their voter registration office, or register with a political party.
  • Assist prospective enlistees and eligible citizens in completing applications.
  • Accept completed voter registration forms and send them to the appropriate state election official by state deadline. Forms are not to be sent to the Federal Voting Assistance Program.
  • Provide to each eligible citizen or prospective enlistee, who does not decline to register to vote, the same degree of assistance for the completion of the registration application form as is provided by the office for the completion of its own forms; i.e., application for enlistment, unless the person refuses such assistance.
  • Use our Recruiter Registration Summary to maintain statistical information on voter registration assistance.
  • Maintain records pertaining to voter registration assistance or activities for a minimum of two years, specifically retention of the DD 2645.

Recruiting Officers Must NOT:

  • Seek to influence an applicant's political preference or party registration.
  • Display any political preference or party allegiance.
  • Make any statement to an applicant or take any action in order to discourage the applicant from registering to vote.
  • Make any statement to an applicant or take any action in order to lead the applicant to believe that a decision to register or not to register has any bearing on the availability of services or benefits.
  • Use information relating to a declination to register to vote in connection with an application made at your office for any purpose other than voter registration.

The Forms You Need:

Any U. S. citizen who wishes to apply for voter registration, or apply to change their voter registration data, may do so at an Armed Forces Recruiting Office will be asked to fill out two forms:

Voter Registration Information Form (DD 2645)

National Mail Voter Registration Form and Guide. This is the official form from the Election Assistance Commission website.

North Dakota and Wyoming are exempt from implementing the provisions of the NVRA. New Hampshire is also exempt but will accept DD 2645 and Voter Registration Applications at Recruiting Offices.

Contact Recruiting Headquarters if you have questions.

A person, including an election official, who in any election for Federal office: Knowingly and willfully intimidates, threatens, or coerces, or attempts to intimidate, threaten, or coerce any person for: Registering to vote, or voting, or attempting to register or vote. Urging or aiding any person to register to vote, to vote, or to attempt to register or vote or exercising any right under the NVRA. Knowingly and willfully deprives, defrauds, or attempts to deprive or defraud the resident of a state of a fair and impartially conducted election process by: The procurement or submission of voter registration applications that are known by the person to be materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent under the laws of the state in which the election is held. The procurement, casting, or tabulation of ballots that are known by the person to be materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent under the laws of the state in which the election is held shall be fined in accordance with title 18, United States Code, or imprisoned not more than five years or both.

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Last updated: 11.20.2012