# Vote while in Military **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 19, 2015, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-while-in-military/735175 "2015-10-19T22:30:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hakuna\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hakuna\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hakuna_Matata)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-while-in-military/735175/1 "2015-10-19T22:30:31Z")
So my daughter married someone who is stationed in Hawaii–and she now lives there (since June of this year). Today her ballot came in the mail addressed to her here at this address. Is she a resident here in Washington State or a resident of Hawaii for voting purposes? When your spouse is in the military, how is residency determined for the one NOT in the military? They both were originally from Washington State and he enlisted while here in Washington State. I looked a little online but it was very confusing, it sounds like his Home or Record (HOR) is here since this is where he enlisted, and that might be different from his State of Legal Residence (SLR) but that doesn’t sound like it apples until you leave the military. All in all–a very confusing state of affairs. I had hoped to tell my daughter a simple answer but it appears it is more confusing than I had originally thought. Anyone here have an answer or in a similar position? ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-while-in-military/735175/2 "2015-10-19T22:45:11Z")
Ask her if she’s got a Hawaiian driver’s license. When I was in the service, I got absentee ballots from my home of record, not from where I just happened to be stationed. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-while-in-military/735175/3 "2015-10-19T22:55:10Z")
She can pick one. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-while-in-military/735175/4 "2015-10-19T23:28:57Z")
^^^. Providing she only registers in one place, she can choose anyplace where she can make a reasonable claim to residence. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-while-in-military/735175/5 "2015-10-20T00:05:43Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > Ask her if she’s got a Hawaiian driver’s license. When I was in the service, I got absentee ballots from my home of record, not from where I just happened to be stationed. A driver’s license is only one indication of state residence. Voting is another, as is property ownership. Most states require you to obtain a license after a short time, usually for revenue and tax purposes. Virginia required me to get one, then hounded me for state income tax, even though my home of record during my entire enlistment was Alaska. I refused to pay them, writing a letter as to why. They continued to harass me for about a year, then gave up. She should continue to vote in – and claim as residence-- Washington state, as they have no state income tax. ---
**Author:** ![Hakuna\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hakuna\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hakuna_Matata)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-while-in-military/735175/6 "2015-10-20T00:19:37Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > A driver’s license is only one indication of state residence. Voting is another, as is property ownership. Most states require you to obtain a license after a short time, usually for revenue and tax purposes. Virginia required me to get one, then hounded me for state income tax, even though my home of record during my entire enlistment was Alaska. I refused to pay them, writing a letter as to why. They continued to harass me for about a year, then gave up. She should continue to vote in – and claim as residence-- Washington state, as they have no state income tax. She does have a Hawaii drivers license as that was required when she moved there BUT she is attending Washington State University via the internet and they gave her in-state residency. So I am going to direct her to keep her residency here in WA. ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-while-in-military/735175/7 "2015-10-20T01:00:37Z")
In that case she should as for an absentee ballot. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-while-in-military/735175/8 "2015-10-20T01:02:44Z")
Yeah, if at all possible, you want to avoid doing anything that could conceivably affect her college residency status, as (if they’re like most schools), they’ll try to stick her with out-of-state tuition on the least excuse. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-while-in-military/735175/9 "2015-10-20T01:35:41Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > A driver’s license is only one indication of state residence. Voting is another, as is property ownership… And payment of income taxes, claiming of a homestead exemption, and/or enrolling your children in school. I agree with **jtur88** , “providing she only registers in one place, she can choose anyplace where she can make a reasonable claim to residence.” ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-while-in-military/735175/10 "2015-10-20T15:16:05Z")
> [@JerrySTL](#): > > In that case she should as for an absentee ballot. Absolutely, even if she doesn’t normally vote. Being registered to vote is a big residency tick.