Big change to US draft rules could impact millions of young men

Automatic draft registration represents a major shift in how the United States approaches national defense and civic responsibility. For decades, the Selective Service System depended on young men to register themselves, turning the act into a conscious step toward adulthood and an acknowledgment of potential service.

That intentional choice is disappearing. Under new procedures, the government will register eligible individuals automatically by gathering data from existing federal and state systems. Instead of signing a form or submitting information, young men will be added to the rolls without any direct action.