‘Looking forward to voting from space,’ says NASA astronaut Sunita Williams; here’s how

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, currently on an extended mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), have expressed their intention to vote in the upcoming US Presidential election from space. The astronauts, whose mission was significantly prolonged due to technical issues with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, will be orbiting Earth during the November 5th polls.

"Pretty Cool" to Vote From Space

"It's a very important duty that we have as citizens and [I'm] looking forward to being able to vote from space which is pretty cool," said Williams during a media interview following Starliner's departure from the ISS.

She also expressed longing for her family and pets back on Earth: "You asked what we missed, right of course, things we always miss – our families. I miss my two dogs I miss my friends but you know what…I know they understand. I know it's tough on them as well…But everyone understands and everyone is cheering for us to get back,”

Wilmore confirmed his commitment to exercising his voting rights from space, stating, “I sent down my request for a ballot today."

A Historic Precedent

The ability for astronauts to vote from space dates back to 1997, when the Texas Legislature passed a bill enabling this unique form of absentee voting. That year, NASA astronaut David Wolf became the first American to cast his ballot from the Mir Space Station.

How Space Voting Works

The process begins with astronauts completing a Federal Postcard Application (FPCA), the standard form for absentee voting. Before Election Day, Mission Control at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) uplinks an encrypted electronic ballot to the astronauts. Using unique credentials sent via email, the astronauts access their ballots, cast their votes, and then downlink the completed ballots back to Earth for processing.