November 04, 2022

Military Veterans as Election Workers: Can They Rebuild Trust in Vote?

Source: Christian Science Monitor

Journalist: Anna Mulrine Grobe

It is in part the esteem in which veterans are generally held that made their participation in the Jan. 6 attacks more shocking, says Katherine Kuzminski, director of the Military, Veterans, and Society program at the Center for a New American Security.

Those figures were relatively “small numbers, but they had a large impact,” she adds. Getting vets to volunteer at the polls is a “way to demonstrate that the majority are good members of the community, invested in the health of democracy.”

Civic engagement could also help counter extremism in the ranks among vets who find themselves looking for a sense of belonging after they leave the service. The search to fill that void can make them easy marks for extremist organizations anxious to take advantage of their credibility and affinity for camaraderie, analysts add.

Read the full story and more from the Christian Science Monitor.

Author

  • Katherine L. Kuzminski

    Deputy Director of Studies, Director, Military, Veterans, and Society Program

    Katherine L. Kuzminski (formerly Kidder) is the Deputy Director of Studies, and the Director of the Military, Veterans, and Society (MVS) Program at CNAS. Her research special...