国防部长皮特·赫格塞斯周五宣布，所有美军士兵将在10月份获得一天休假，以便参加2026年的中期选举投票。赫格塞斯表示，这一停训命令将于10月15日执行，此后每逢偶数年份的选举年都会延续实施。此举属于五角大楼推行的新举措的一部分，旨在打造一个“不带政治色彩”且“以正确优先事项为导向”的国防机构。
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Friday that all U.S. troops will get one day off in October to vote in the 2026 midterm elections. Hegseth said the stand-down order will be executed by Oct. 15 and will continue in even-numbered election years as part of a new and “apolitical” Pentagon “with all the right priorities.”
“在特朗普总统的领导下，我们致力于维护那些对保卫共和国及美国生活方式至关重要的原则。之所以采取这一措施，是因为过去为军人提供投票服务的过程既耗时又复杂——许多军人因种种原因驻扎在远离家乡的地方，”赫格塞斯在发布于社交平台X上的一段时长两分半的视频中说道，“他们在远离家乡服役期间，填写并寄回缺席选票的过程往往充满困难与阻碍。”
“Under the leadership of President Trump, we're upholding things that are central to the defense of our republic and our American way of life, and we're doing this because in the past voting for our men and women in uniform has been time-consuming and complex, as many warriors reside outside of their home state for obvious reasons,” Hegseth said in a two-and-a-half-minute video posted on social platform X. “They face unnecessary, difficult ways of obtaining, completing and returning absentee ballots while serving far from home,” he added.
在周四发布的备忘录中，赫格塞斯指出，这一停训命令将确保军人们能够接受相关培训，并顺利提交联邦邮寄选票申请表。这一公告发布之际，正值赫格塞斯一周前呼吁美军官兵及其家属积极参与2026年中期选举之后。当时他指出，两年前约有30万名军人未能行使投票权。
The stand-down order will ensure service member training, processing and submission of the Federal Post Card Applications (FPCA) if service members decide to vote by absentee ballot, Hegseth in a Thursday memo. The announcement comes a week after the Defense secretary urged U.S. service members and their families to and vote in the 2026 midterms, stating that about 300,000 troops did not to cast votes two years ago.
“无论你身处何地、当前服役状态如何，都可以使用标准化的联邦邮寄选票申请表来申请选票；如果你身处海外且常规选票送达延迟，还可以使用联邦书面缺席选票，”赫格塞斯在9月25日说道，“所有这些流程都简便易行且受法律保障。”
“Regardless of your home state or current duty status, you can use a standardized federal postcard to and request a ballot, and if you’re forward deployed and your standard ballot is delayed, you can use the federal write-in absentee ballot,” Hegseth said Sept. 25.
与上周的表态一致，赫格塞斯再次强调自己并不会指示军人们该把选票投给谁。“我们不会指定你们该投票给谁，但会为你们提供一切必要的条件来行使这一权利。最终，选择谁来担任民选领导人的权力属于你们自己，”赫格塞斯在视频中说道。
“All of these processes are straightforward and protected by law,” Just like last week, Hegseth emphasized that he is not telling service members for whom they should to cast their ballots. “Now we're not telling you who to vote for, but we will give you every opportunity to do so. It's then up to you to exercise your right as an American to choose your elected leaders,” Hegseth said in the video.
根据联邦投票援助计划（FVAP）的数据，约三分之二的现役军人计划在2024年大选中投票，这一比例较2020年下降了3个百分点。赫格斯塞斯表示：“投票正是开国元勋们所期望的每位公民参与国家治理的方式。我们会竭尽全力确保各位能够顺利投票，让你们的心声得以传达。”
Around two-thirds of active-duty military members wereed to vote in the 2024 election, a 3-point decrease compared to 2020, according to Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) data. “Voting is the way our founding fathers envisioned every citizen's ability to participate in government,” Hegseth said. “We're going to take the time to ensure that you can vote and that your voice is heard.”