Starting in December 2026, the United States will transition to automatic registration for the military draft. This shift removes the legal burden from individual men to manually sign up, instead integrating federal data to register eligible citizens and residents into the Selective Service System (SSS) database.
- Registration: A mandatory legal requirement to maintain a database of eligible personnel for a potential national emergency.
- Induction (The Draft): The actual call to military service. The U.S. has not held a draft since 1973.
- Examination: Even if a draft were authorized, draftees would first undergo physical, mental, and moral evaluations before induction.
The modern lottery process involves two large drums containing capsules:
- Drum One (Birthdays): Contains 365 capsules (366 in leap years), each with a specific day of the year (e.g., "January 1", "January 2").
- Drum Two (Numbers): Contains capsules numbered 1 through 365 (or 366).
- The Drawing: One capsule is drawn from each drum simultaneously. The birthday drawn is paired with the number drawn, establishing that date's Random Selection Number (RSN).
