Do Astronauts Actually Vote from Space?
We’ve heard of an absentee ballot. We know about voting by mail. And we’re certainly familiar with voting in person at our local polling station, whether early or on Election Day. But what if you’re not eligible for any of those … because you’re literally out of this world?It wasn’t until 2020 that voting by mail became easier across all 50 states. While the majority of states currently allow it with no restrictions, others require a specific reason. The shift came amid the COVID-19 pandemic in effort to have citizens remain socially distanced while still successfully casting their vote.But has the voting system taken into account astronauts who are in outer space when the first Tuesday in November rolls around? To find out, we asked election officials to explain how on Earth (er, off Earth) this may happen. Read on to learn whether astronauts on a mission can vote while they’re as far as can be from their local voting station.GetReaders DigestsRead Up newsletter for more news, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.Do astronauts vote from space?Astronauts do not have to miss out on voting just because they are on a mission on Election Daythey can do it from space! It happens with the help of a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) system.Here’s how NASA’s cool invention lets astronauts cast their votes, according to the space agency:The astronauts fill out their ballots while on board their space mission.The ballots are encrypted and uploaded into the space station’s onboard computer systems.Those ballots are routed to NASA’s TDRS system, which hands them off to the terminal in White Sands, New Mexico.Landlines from the TDRS ground terminal transmit the ballots to the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.Johnson Space Center then electorally delivers the ballots to the county clerks for filing.“Before sending the astronauts their ballot, a test ballot with a unique password is sent first,” says Rosio Torres-Segura, the administrator of communications for the Harris County Clerk’s Office in Texas, shares with Reader’s Digest. “Crew-member-specific credentials allow the astronauts access to a secure ballot. After a successful test, the secured ballot is sent as a fillable document so the astronauts can make their selections, save them and send them back. “Once the astronauts vote their live ballot, it is returned, printed and processed with other ballots.”What space-voting rules do astronauts need to follow?There are plenty of things astronauts can’t do in space, but voting isn’t one of themprovided they meet election deadlines. Similar to absentee ballots, space-station votes must be submitted in a timely manner surrounding Election Day. And astronauts must apply to vote this way by a specific deadline, according to the Texas Election Code.“Like other forms of absentee voting, voting from space starts with a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA),” Torres-Segura says. “This is the same form military members and their families fill out while serving outside the United States.”County clerks work with the astronauts’ NASA representatives to ensure their votes are filed. “They are the liaison between our office and space,” she says. “Like other FPCA applicants, they must complete an FPCA application and submit it by the deadline.”Are all astronauts eligible?All NASA astronauts can vote from space if they follow a few election regulations. For starters, there are rules about where an astronaut must be registered to vote before leaving Earth’s orbit.“The only state that explicitly allows astronauts to electronically return a ballot is Texas,” says Wendy Underhill, director of elections and redistricting at the National Conference of State Legislatures, an organization that represents the legislatures in states, territories and commonwealths of the United States. “So if an astronaut is a registered voter in Texas (many of them are since that’s where mission control is), they can make use of that special system to return ballots.”There may be a few more steps to take if they are registered outside Texas. As Underhill explains, astronauts who are registered to vote in a state other than Texas qualify as military/overseas voters under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). It allows them to use their state’s absentee voting system or fill out an FPCA to get a ballot.“While 28 states offer no excuse for absentee voting, even in the states that require an excuse, ‘being in orbit’ would absolutely qualify,” she says. “Ideally, they would be able to request an absentee ballot, receive it, complete it and return it before leaving Earth. If not, and they’re not in Texas, in many other states perhaps they could use their state’s electronic ballot-return system. Thirty-one states allow the electronic return of ballots, whether that means by fax, email or through a portal.”NASA Astronaut Kate Rubins voted from space during the 2020 presidential election.Does this apply to all elections?Underhill says all astronauts can vote from space for the general election. While it requires a little forward thinking, depending on how long the astronaut will be in space and, of course, where they are registered, they should be able to participate in some way.So how many astronauts are in space for the upcoming presidential election? There are currently 14 people in orbit. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, whose intended eight-day mission has turned into more than eight months in space, have already gotten involved in the voting process.“Astronaut Butch Wilmore has gone through the process and returned his mail ballot,” Torres-Segura says. “Astronaut Sunita Williams submitted her application and was sent a mail ballot on Oct. 16, which she needs to return by Election Day.”Is this the first year astronauts will be voting from space?Believe it or not, voting from space has been a thing for nearly three decades. According to NASA, “astronauts have voted in U.S. elections since 1997, when the Texas Legislature passed a bill that allowed NASA astronauts to cast ballots from orbit.”Here’s a fun space fact: The first astronaut to ever cast a ballot from orbit was NASA’s David Wolf, who was on Mir Space Station in 1997. During the 2020 presidential election, Kate Rubins went down in history as using the space voting system while on a mission on the International Space Station.About the expertsWendy Underhill is the director of elections and redistricting at the National Conference of State Legislatures. She has 11 years of experience with voting, election administration, politics, ballot measures and election outcomes.Rosio Torres-Segura is the administrator of communications for the Harris County Clerk’s Office in Texas.Why trust usAt Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this piece on voting from space, Rachel Maresca Patterson tapped her experience as a longtime journalist covering news, lifestyle and entertainment. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.Sources:Wendy Underhill, director of elections and redistricting at the National Conference of State Legislatures; email interview, Oct. 14, 2024Rosio Torres-Segura, administrator of communications for the Harris County Clerk’s Office in Texas; email interview, Oct. 16, 2024NASA: “How NASA Astronauts Vote from Space Aboard International Space Station”NASA: “NASA Decides to Bring Starliner Spacecraft Back to Earth Without Crew”Who Is in Space?What Are Midterm Elections?Political Jokes That Bridge the DivideRed Flags of Voter SuppressionThe post Do Astronauts Actually Vote from Space? appeared first on Reader's Digest.
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