MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII --  The right to vote is one of the freedoms that has been fought for constantly throughout American history, but might also become one of the freedoms a lot of Americans take for granted.

 To ensure Marines are educated about the voting process, units throughout the Marines Corps provide them and their families with Voting Assistance Officers who help Marines with all their voting needs.

 “Voting Assistance Officers have two main functions,” said Capt. Peter Baker, Voting Assistance Officer, Headquarters Battalion, Marine Corps Base Hawaii. “The first is to make sure every Marine and spouse who is eligible to vote has the opportunity to vote. The second is to educate people about voting.”

 Voting Assistance Officers provide Marines and eligible family members with everything they need to vote, from registration forms to absentee ballots. A Federal Postcard Application can register a service member or their spouse from afar to vote in federal, state and local elections. Units’ voting assistance officers can not only provide he forms, but can help people fill out the cards and provide them with the correct local address to send the information to.

 It’s important for service members and their families to exercise their constitutional right to vote because it gives them a voice in issues that are important to them, Baker said.

 “The thing I tell people is most of us who are Marines joined because we wanted to make a difference in the world,” Baker said. “Going to Iraq is one way to do that. Voting is another. The country was founded on the principals of freedom and the right to choose the things that are important to you. It’s a dishonor to those who fought and died for us not to exercise it … my job is to remind them to look and see what’s going on here.”

 A lot of service members have never registered to vote and know nothing about the process, Baker said. That’s where the Voting Assistance Officers come in. Service members and their families can seek help registering and obtain information on local, state and federal elections.

 “The Marine Corps has a lot of young service members, and for some of them, this is the first year they can vote and it’s not really something they think of,” Baker said. “Getting them into the habit of voting is the most important thing. It’s just one more step in turning them into productive citizens.”

 With help available, anything that has to do with voting, from registering to sending in absentee ballots, is painless, Baker said.

 “The main advice I have for people is to vote,” he said. “Look at the information you get. It’s not that hard and it’s not a big ordeal like people think it could be. You send in your FPA and they’ll send you all the information. You don’t have to vote, but the information will give you the chance to voice your opinion on local issues, as well as state and government ones. It’s really easy.”

 For more information about voting, see your unit’s Voting Assistance Officer or visit www.manpower.usmc.mil/voting.