Some political analysts say active-duty military voters could influence Nov. 4's election in surprising ways.

And that means the Marines that Lt. Dominic Kimzey is helping to register at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort could play key roles in races that will help determine a new president, 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and one-third of the 100-member U.S. Senate.

"We don't tell them who to vote for, and no one has to vote, but we want to reach out to our Marines and provide them with every opportunity to do so," said Kimzey, one of four voting assistance officerswith Headquarters and Headquarters Support Battalion at MCAS Beaufort.

Voting assistance officersare selected by unit commanders to help unit members withvoter registration, absentee ballots and overseas voting. Kimzey said he is responsible for ensuring nearly 200 Marines in his battalion have all the information they need to vote in November.

Kimzey noted the Marines with whom he has dealt are enthusiastic about the upcoming election, mirroring high voter turnout among civilians during the primary season.

Read the complete story at beaufortgazette.com