Hegseth Orders One-Day Military 'Stand Down' to Let Troops Vote in Midterms

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed all military commands to pause regular operations for one day within the next two weeks so service members can complete absentee voting for the November midterm elections. A memo dated Oct. 1 formalizes the order and also authorizes an annual one-day "stand down" every October in election years beginning in 2026.

In a video posted Oct. 2, Hegseth said, "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." He has previously outlined procedures for using federal write-in absentee ballots and said the stand down is intended to reduce obstacles to voting that service members have historically faced.

What a "Stand Down" Means
In military usage, a "stand down" directs units to pause normal duties so personnel can rest, receive training, or— in this case—have time to complete voting paperwork and submit absentee ballots. Servicewide stand downs are uncommon; former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered a departmentwide pause in 2021 to address right-wing extremism in the ranks.

Nonpartisan Requirement—and Political Scrutiny
Hegseth\'s memo specifies that "all voting assistance activities must remain strictly nonpartisan." At the same time, Hegseth has been active at Republican campaign events in recent months, drawing scrutiny about the appearance of political involvement by a senior Pentagon official. He campaigned for Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL, and spoke at events for Reps. Zach Nunn and others. Rep. Thomas Massie introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth alleging unauthorized continuation of hostilities with Iran.

Comments on Military Culture
In a Sept. 30 speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Hegseth criticized policies from the prior administration and said he wants to emphasize a "warrior ethos." He said, "No more silly PowerPoint trainings or drag queen shows. No more diversity quotas, no more gender pronouns, no more identity months," adding that he seeks to refocus training and priorities toward combat readiness.

Races To Watch
The article also highlights a number of competitive Senate and House contests this cycle, including key Senate matchups in Alaska, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas, and competitive House races in districts across New York, New Jersey, Colorado, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Virginia, Florida, Texas, North Carolina and Wisconsin.

Why It Matters
The stand down is intended to provide a concrete, departmentwide opportunity for service members to complete absentee voting and reduce administrative barriers. Pentagon officials emphasize the nonpartisan nature of voting assistance, but Hegseth\'s visible role at partisan events has raised questions about optics and boundaries for senior civilian leaders in uniformed affairs.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY.

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U.S. Senate, GeorgiaJon Ossoff (D) vs. Mike Collins (R)Incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff is taking on GOP Rep. Mike Collins, a Trump-endorsed candidate, for a crucial seat in November. The race has captured national attention as Trump has personally attacked Ossoff, while Collins has been swept up in a House ethics investigation and faced questions about his son-in-law, a White nationalist influencer.(Ossoff: Jack Gruber, USA TODAY; Collins: Getty Images)

U.S. Senate, IowaJosh Turek (D) vs. Ashley Hinson (R)Current GOP Sen. Joni Ernst decided not to run for a third term, setting up Iowa’s first open Senate race since 2014. Democratic State Rep. Josh Turek, a two-time gold medalist Paralympian, faces Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, a former TV anchor now in her third term in Congress.(Zach Boyden-Holmes, The Des Moines Register via USA TODAY Network)

U.S. Senate, MaineSusan Collins (R) vs Troy Jackson (D)Collins was seen as one of the GOP’s most vulnerable senators in 2026. But Democrats’ efforts to unseat her were complicated when their nominee Graham Platner dropped out of the race amid allegations of sexual assault. Jackson, the former Maine Senate president and logger, was picked to replace Platner.(Collins: Getty Images; Jackson: Reuters)

U.S. Senate, MichiganAbdul El-Sayed (D) vs. Mike Rogers (R)Running on a progressive platform, El-Sayed won a bruising primary that saw much of the Democratic party establishment back his opponent. Rogers, who served seven terms in the House, is making his second bid for a Senate seat after losing to Elissa Slotkin in 2024.(Abdul El-Sayed: Pool Photo; Mike Rogers: Jasper Colt, USA TODAY)

U.S. Senate, New HampshireJohn E. Sununu (R) vs. Chris Pappas (D)Republicans are hoping that former Sen. John Sununu can flip the seat held by retiring Democrat Jeanne Shaheen. Sununu is endorsed by Trump and won the GOP primary over former Massachusetts Sen. Chris Brown. U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas is the Democratic nominee.(USA TODAY Network)

U.S. Senate, North CarolinaRoy Cooper (D) vs. Michael Whatley (R)Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a moderate who served two terms, faces off against former Republican National Chair Michael Whatley, a close Trump ally.(Reuters)

U.S. Senate, OhioJon Husted (R) vs. Sherrod Brown (D)Brown, who served three terms in the Senate before losing to Bernie Moreno in 2024, is making a bid to return to Washington in a special election for the final two years of JD Vance’s term. He faces incumbent Husted, who was appointed to fill the vacant Senate seat when Vance became vice president.(USA TODAY Network)

U.S. Senate, TexasKen Paxton (R) vs. James Talarico (D)Ken Paxton, Texas’ state attorney general, ousted incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary after receiving Trump’s endorsement. He faces a stiff challenge from state Rep. James Talarico in what will be one of the most closely watched contests of 2026.(Getty Images)

U.S. House, New York’s 17th DistrictCait Conley (D) vs. Rep. Mike Lawler (R)Lawler is defending his House seat, and Conley will challenge him. Lawler, who is typically seen as a moderate, hosted a campaign rally with President Donald Trump in May, despite representing one of the most Democratic-leaning districts held by a Republican.(Getty Images)

U.S. House, New Jersey’s 7th DistrictRep. Tom Kean Jr. (R) vs. Rebecca Bennett (D)Kean is defending his seat after a four-month hiatus from Congress this year without a word from the representative put the race in the spotlight. Kean has since said that depression and hospitalization were to blame for his absence, but Bennett hopes to oust him. The suburban district has been highly competitive in recent years.(Getty Images)

U.S. House, Colorado’s 8th DistrictRep. Gabe Evans (R) vs. state Rep. Manny Rutinel (D)The district, which was created after the 2020 census, is one of the nation’s top battleground districts: Evans won by only 0.8 percentage points in 2024.(Getty Images)

U.S. House, Arizona’s 6th DistrictRep. Juan Ciscomani (R) vs. JoAnna Mendoza (D)Incumbent Ciscomani faces three challengers for his Tucson-area seat, including Navy and Marine Corps veteran Mendoza. The district is a Democratic target that has been closely contested in recent election cycles.(Getty Images)

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U.S. House, Michigan’s 7th DistrictRep. Tom Barrett (R) vs. William Lawrence (D, not pictured)Incumbent Barrett faces Democratic challenger William Lawrence. Candidates from the Green Party and Working Class Party are also on the general election ballot. Barrett won the seat in 2024 after Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin vacated it to run for Senate.(Tom Barrett, via Reuters)

U.S. House, Virginia’s 2nd DistrictRep. Jen Kiggans (R) vs. Elaine Luria (D)Virginia Democrats attempted to redraw the state’s 2nd Congressional District, but they were blocked by a court. Still, Democrats are hopeful to win the seat back from Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans with their candidate, former Rep. Elaine Luria, who served the district from 2019-2023 and lost to Kiggans in 2022.(Getty Images, Reuters)

U.S. House, Florida’s 25th DistrictRep. Jared Moskowitz (D) vs. Scott Singer (R, not pictured)Moskowitzcurrently represents the state’s 23rd District, but after a court-ordered redistricting shuffle, he is running to stay in Congress with the state’s 25th District. Republicans hope their redistricting edge will give their candidate, attorney Scott Singer, a win and a new Republican seat in the House.(Anna Moneymaker, Getty Images)

U.S. House, Texas’ 34th DistrictEric Flores (R) vs. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D)After a redistricting shuffle in Texas, Republicans bet that Flores, the former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, can secure a new GOP seat and oust incumbent Gonzalez. After 2024 gains with Hispanic voters in the region, Republicans view the district as a pickup opportunity.(Getty Images, Reuters)

U.S. House, North Carolina’s 1st DistrictRep. Don Davis (D) vs. Laurie Buckhout (R)Davis’ district in North Carolina was redrawn into a more Republican-leaning district, making him a vulnerable Democratic incumbent, and Republican candidate, former Army Col. Buckhout, hopes to win his seat.(Getty Images, Reuters)

U.S. House, Wisconsin’s 3rd DistrictRep. Derrick Van Orden (R) vs. Rebecca Cooke (D, not pictured)Van Orden is defending his seat against Cooke, a small business owner. The district was represented from 1997-2023 by Democratic Rep. Ron Kind, and Democrats hope to reclaim it.(Tierney L. Cross, Getty Images)