With the general election just three months away, the Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany provided information on how active-duty service members and civilian-Marines can cast their ballots during the 2^nd annual Voting Convention, July 19.

The Base Adjutant’s Office held the event as part of an annual mandatory training for all active-duty personnel.

Administration Clerk, Lance Corporal Mykerria Johnson says it helps raise awareness on the importance of voting, given that there are several young Marines on the installation who did not register prior to joining the military.    

“Being that in Albany this was my first duty station, I wasn’t registered to vote,” Johnson explained; “I really didn’t even know anything about the process to register to vote and I didn’t learn until I was introduced to www.FVAP.gov by my lieutenant.”

Through fun games like jeopardy, Marines and civilian-Marines tested their knowledge of each state, some even walked away with gift cards.  

“It’s basically to show service members, the civilians (and) their spouses, the different perks that we have when it comes to voting (since) we are active-duty military,” Johnson added.

More than 70 Marines and a handful of civilian-Marines stopped by the office to learn about the voting registration options.

Johnson and several other Marines in the Adjutant’s Office provided one-on-one assistance on how to properly complete a paper or online form.

Gunnery Sgt. Stephanie Newkirk, Maintenance Management Officer, Logistics Support Division, MCLB Albany says the event is very instrumental in guiding active-duty service members on how to cast absentee ballots when they’re not in their home state.  

“They like how it’s been broken down with the games … and information on how they can vote because they aren’t at home, (and) how they can send in their votes through the mail and they don’t have to be (in) their home to vote,” Newkirk remarked.