For U.S. combat troops, the stakes in November couldn't be higher. They're in the unique position of choosing their commander in chief, while fighting a war that will factor in many voters' minds when ballots are cast.

"The election bears a direct influence on the day-to-day activities of my life," said Army Spc. Glen Mead, 23, an infantryman from Los Angeles who is in Iraq. Mead commented via e-mail.

It's the Pentagon's job to make sure things go smoothly this year, not only for the military, their dependents and mobilized reservists, but for all overseas federal civilian employees.

The Federal Voting Assistance Program is nonpartisan, but experts said it could help deliver a second term for President Bush.

For example, about 3,070 Florida National Guard members and reservists have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. Plus, there are more than a dozen military bases in Florida that are home to potential voters.

"If Eglin Air Force Base (in Florida) was in Alabama, Al Gore would be in the White House," said Loren Thompson, chief operating officer of the right-leaning Lexington Institute.

But Florida isn't the only battleground state where the military vote could have an impact. About 1,025 National Guard members and reservists have been mobilized in New Mexico. In 2000, Al Gore won that state by only 366 votes.

Getting out the vote

On flat-panel television screens, billboards, signs and kiosks across U.S. military bases worldwide, people are being reminded to register and vote.

Defense Department schools across the globe have added voting to their civics courses.

There are voting-assistance officers for about every 30 soldiers.

"A lot of them are barely old enough to vote," said Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer Lecia Newgaard, a voting-assistance officer based in Hawai'i. "They need the guidance ... especially the younger generation."

Armed Forces Radio and Television Service runs regular announcements about the importance of voting. And if you attend a movie on a military base, you'll likely see a voting promo before previews are done.

"We don't force them to do anything," said Col. David Tom, U.S. Air Force Pacific's voting-assistance officer.

The Defense Department's goal is to reach every person serving in uniform. And every soldier sent to Iraq or Afghanistan gets a briefing where they are encouraged to vote and shown how to do it.

"They may feel isolated at times, but we're here to help them," said Air Force Capt. Randy Maraj, voting assistance officer at Andersen Air Force Base on Guam. "Even though you may be in the middle of nowhere, your vote is important."

Even service members based in the United States, in many cases, vote by absentee ballot.

"It cuts down the cost of having people going to the polls, and it is more convenient to write it in and mail it off, rather than taking off work," said Agnes Borbely, voting-assistance officer at Hickam Air Force Base.

Improvements

The Pentagon's voting assistance program has its critics.

• In March, the Defense Department's inspector general said the program to simplify overseas voting was a low priority among field commanders, a claim disputed by the services.
• The Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, found in April that mail delivery to and from troops in Iraq was slower than the 12- to 18-day overseas standard. The military acknowledged the problem and said it has taken steps to improve the process.

The military also has had its setbacks. The Pentagon in February, for example, terminated a $22 million program to develop an overseas Internet voting system because it could not be made secure.

But Charles Abell, who oversees personnel and readiness issues at the Pentagon, said the military has made strides to simplify voting.

There are more toll-free numbers in more countries than ever before, providing voting information to callers.

More states now allow blank ballots to be delivered to voters by fax, and there is almost universal acceptance of an online version of the federal postcard application.