Active-duty troops who vote by absentee ballot must register to vote every year. That's a change from the previous requirement, in which servicemembers could register every other year.
Troops serving overseas must mail in their absentee ballots a certain number of days ahead of the presidential election, which will be held on November 6. According to the Department of Defense, that timeline is as follows:
-- Afghanistan (excluding air stop locations), Egypt, Kyrgyzstan, Oman and Turkmenistan: 17 days before the election;
-- Germany: 11 days before the election;
-- Afghanistan air stop locations, Bahrain, Cuba, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates: 10 days before the election; and
-- Japan, Korea and the Philippines: seven days before the election.
