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NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will vote in the US Presidential election from space.
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The astronauts, currently on the International Space Station, expressed their commitment to exercising their voting rights.
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Space voting is made possible through a Texas law passed in 1997, allowing absentee voting via electronic ballots.
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are gearing up to make their voices heard in the upcoming US Presidential election – from space. Currently on an extended mission aboard the International Space Station, they will be orbiting Earth on Election Day.
Williams expressed her enthusiasm for voting from space, calling it “pretty cool.” She emphasized the importance of fulfilling their civic duty as citizens. Wilmore also confirmed his commitment to voting, stating he had already requested his ballot.
The ability for astronauts to vote from space was established in 1997 when Texas passed a law enabling absentee voting via electronic ballots. NASA astronaut David Wolf became the first American to cast his ballot from space that year.
To cast their votes, astronauts complete a Federal Postcard Application and receive an encrypted electronic ballot from Mission Control. They access their ballots using unique credentials, cast their votes, and then transmit the completed ballots back to Earth for processing. This unique process ensures astronauts can participate in democratic processes even while in space.
