Armed Forces Voter's Week, June 28 - July 7, provides an opportunity for service members and their families to learn how to vote when deployed or living away from hometown voting districts.

As we all know 2012 is a very active voting year. Not only will the nation elect or reelect a president and vice president, but 33 senators, 435 House of Representatives seats, and 11 state and territorial governorships will be voted upon during the 2012 election cycle.

Voting is not only a privilege, but a responsibility of all citizens. The right to vote is one of the most valued attributes of American society, and this applies to all citizens, whether living in the continental United States, or serving overseas.

Hill military members and their families will have a chance to take care of the registration to vote in this fall's elections and learn more about voting absentee through information booths set up at the Hill Exchange and the East Shopette during Armed Forces Voter's Week.

Some members may think that they cannot vote because they are not residents of the state, territory, or country that they currently reside in. The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act of 1986 (UOCAVA) safeguards the rights of uniformed members of the Armed Forces' right to vote, wherever they may be serving. The act covers all military members and their voting age dependents who are absent from their voting jurisdiction, and all U.S. citizens residing outside the United States and its territories. The UOCAVA covers over 6 million potential voters worldwide, or approximately 2 percent of all U.S. voters.

For more information about Armed Forces Voter's week contact Jennifer Olson at 801-586-3191.