{"id":149806,"date":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=149806"},"modified":"2024-04-16T18:08:03","modified_gmt":"2024-04-16T18:08:03","slug":"political-activity-dos-and-donts-for-airmen-guardians-dod-employees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=149806","title":{"rendered":"Political activity Dos and Don\u2019ts for Airmen, Guardians, DoD employees"},"content":{"rendered":"
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ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) — \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In our democracy, elections are quite common<\/span>, and with a presidential election this year, we can expect many opportunities for citizens to participate in the democratic process. With this in mind, it is important to be aware of specific guidelines that apply to service members and federal employees on acceptable behavior.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Military personnel and civilian employees are encouraged to carry out their obligations of citizenship, which include the right to <\/span>participate personally in the political process. These rights are protected by the U.S. Constitution that all military members have taken an oath to support and defend.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Because of that oath, service members and civilian employees also have a duty to ensure that their personal activities do not imply official endorsement by the D<\/span>epartment of Defense or Department of the Air Force. As individuals, we do not have to be politically neutral, but the Air Force and Space Force do. These rules help to ensure the DoD does not influence or appear to be partisan in our nation’s electoral process.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Department of Defense Directive 1344.10, Political Activities by Members of the Armed Forces<\/span>, and individual service regulations outline permitted and prohibited political activities by active duty, Reserve component and retired service members. These rules regulate how and when service members are able to participate in the political process. Service members who violate these directives could face punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and\/or other criminal or administrative penalties. The Hatch Act of 1939 (5 U.S.C. 7321-7326) applies to civilian employees and similarly regulates how and when individuals can conduct personal political activities.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Service members and federal employees are encouraged to <\/span>participate in the political process, but they must be careful about not engaging in political activities in the workplace and not using their official positions to advocate for or against political issues. With the directives set forth in DoDD 1344.10 and other regulations in mind, service members should be aware of what they can and cannot do regarding political activities. The below do\u2019s\/don\u2019ts are not exhaustive, and service members and employees should consult with their servicing legal office with any questions regarding their personal political activities.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Active<\/span> duty service members CAN:\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Register to vote, vote and encourage others to vote.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Express <\/span>a personal opinion on political candidates and issues.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Write a letter in a newspaper, blog or social media expressing personal political views<\/span>. However, if you identify yourself as a service member (for example, if you have a photo on your social media of yourself in uniform) you must include a statement that your views do not represent those of the Department of Defense or Department of the Air Force.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Attend partisan or non-partisan political rallies and clubs as a spectator during off-duty hours. However, service members (including retirees) may not be in uniform.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Serve as a non-partisan election official while off-duty and not in uniform<\/span>. However, this requires Department Secretary (e.g., Secretary of the Air Force) approval. Contact your servicing Legal Office for more information.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Sign petitions for legislative action or to place a candidate’s name on the ballot, if done as a private citizen and not as a representative of the armed forces.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Donate money to a political party, candidate<\/span>, organization or committee.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Display one non-offensive bumper sticker on your personally owned vehicles.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Wear political t-shirts or buttons when not in uniform, performing military duties or when it could give the appearance of DoD or DAF endorsement.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Active<\/span> duty service members CANNOT:\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u00b7 Attend a political event (meeting, rally, fundraiser, debate, convention) in uniform, whether it is partisan or nonpartisan.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Express <\/span>personal opinions as if they are service branch or DoD policy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Make derogatory statements about elected officials and DoD\/DAF leadership \u2013 a potential UCMJ violation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Organize, lead, sponsor or speak at partisan political events.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Engage in partisan political fundraising activities \u2013 except as a donor.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Place large political signs on your vehicle (bigger than a bumper sticker).<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Display any type of political sign, banner, poster or similar device in your office, work area or on-base residence (including privatized housing).<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Engage in the public or organized recruitment of others to run for political office.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Run for political office without Se<\/span>cretary of the Air Force approval.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Attempt to influence the view, position<\/span> or vote of any subordinate.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Hatch Act governs political activities by DoD and other federal civilian employees. The Hatch Act provides restrictions that are similar, but not identical, to those imposed on <\/span>active duty service members, and restrictions on civilian employees are broken down into \u201cFurther Restricted\u201d and \u201cLess Restricted\u201d categories. Most DAF employees will be \u201cLess Restricted,\u201d meaning, GS-15 and below, and Schedule C employees. Federal civilian employees who violate these rules and restrictions are at risk of disciplinary actions, including reprimand, suspension, removal, debarment from federal employment for up to 5 years, and a $1,000 fine.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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All <\/span>federal civilian employees CAN:\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u00b7 Register to vote, vote and encourage others to vote.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Express <\/span>a personal opinion on political candidates and issues.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Write a letter in a newspaper, blog or social media expressing personal political views.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Attend political fundraising functions, <\/span>rallies and clubs during off-duty hours.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Serve as a non-partisan election official.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Sign petitions for legislative action or to place a candidate’s name on the ballot, if done as a private citizen.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Donate money to a political party<\/span>, organization or committee.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Display one non-offensive bumper sticker on your personally owned vehicles.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Be candidates for public office in nonpartisan elections <\/span>in accordance with Office of Personnel Management requirements.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Display or wear political signs, stickers, <\/span>t-shirts or buttons when not on-duty, in a government building or using a government vehicle.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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All Federal Civilian Employees CANNOT:<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u00b7 Use official authority or influence to interfere with or affect an election.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 <\/span>Solicit, accept or receive political contributions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Use an official title while <\/span>participating in political activities.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Engage in political activity while: on duty, in a government building or vehicle or wearing an official uniform.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Become a candidate in a partisan election.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Host or sponsor a political fundraiser (though merely attending one is <\/span>permitted).\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Less Restricted Civilians CAN:<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Volunteer<\/span> to work for partisan political campaigns\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Attend<\/span> and be active (including speaking) at political rallies and meetings\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Join<\/span> and hold office in a political party or organization\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Work<\/span> the polls on election day for a candidate for partisan political office\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 <\/span>Assist in partisan voter registration drives (but not in the workplace).\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 Organize<\/span> and speak at a political fundraiser (but cannot solicit or receive funds).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The information in this article is provided for informational purposes and is not intended as legal advice<\/span>. For further assistance or if you have questions or concerns, please contact your installation legal office.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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U.S. Air Force Logo<\/title><\/p><\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) — \u00a0 In our democracy, elections are quite common, and with a presidential election this year, we can expect many opportunities for citizens to participate in the democratic process. With this in mind, it is important to be aware of specific guidelines that apply to service members and federal employees on acceptable […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":149808,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-149806","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149806","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=149806"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149806\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":149809,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149806\/revisions\/149809"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/149808"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=149806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=149806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=149806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}