NASA astronaut Sunita Williams is poised to create history once more by casting her vote in the upcoming US Presidential election—this time from the vastness of space.
Since 1997, a Texas law has allowed NASA astronauts to participate in elections while orbiting Earth.
Williams will utilize the same absentee voting procedure as US citizens residing abroad, with specific modifications for her extraordinary circumstances.
After completing a Federal Post Card Application to request her ballot, she will cast her vote electronically using the ISS computer system.
While stationed aboard the International Space Station (ISS), approximately 400 miles above Earth, Williams will join a distinguished group of astronauts who have voted from space, including David Wolf, the first to do so, and Kate Robbins, who voted from the ISS in 2020.
NASA’s Space Communication and Navigation (SCaN) Program will facilitate the secure transmission of her ballot.
The completed electronic vote will be transmitted through NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System to a ground station in New Mexico, before being sent to the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. It will then be securely passed on to the county clerk for processing.
To ensure the integrity of the voting process, the system encrypts the ballot, granting access only to Williams and the county clerk. This initiative reflects NASA’s dedication to allowing astronauts to engage in civic duties from space while demonstrating its advanced communication technology.