US election 2024: Sunita Williams votes from orbit

In an extraordinary act of civic duty, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams plans to cast her vote for the 2024 US Presidential Election from the International Space Station (ISS), 250 miles above Earth. On November 5, as votes are being cast across the nation, here's a look at how astronauts make their voices heard from space.

Sunita Williams, a retired US Navy officer and veteran astronaut, recently spoke about her voting plans in a video message from the ISS during a Diwali celebration hosted by President Joe Biden at the White House. Williams, along with fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore, extended their mission on the ISS after their Boeing Starliner spacecraft experienced anomalies and returned without them. Both astronauts are now scheduled to return on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft in February 2025.

In a press conference held in September, Williams expressed her excitement about voting from space, stating, "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." Her colleague, Wilmore, also confirmed his intention to vote from space, saying, “I set down my request for a ballot today." Joining them in this celestial voting process are NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Don Pettit.

A Close Presidential Race

As voting takes place, the 2024 presidential race between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump is tight, with each side vying for the win.

The History and Process of Voting from Space

The tradition of voting from space began in 1997 when NASA astronaut David Wolf cast the first American vote from orbit while aboard the Mir Space Station. More recently, in the 2020 US Presidential Elections, astronaut Kate Rubins voted from the ISS.

To vote from space, astronauts must fill out an absentee ballot, which is securely transmitted back to Earth through NASA’s Near Space Network. This network ensures reliable communication between the ISS and Earth.

The Voting Process for Astronauts

The ability for astronauts to vote from space was made possible by a Texas Legislature bill passed in 1997. Here’s how it works:

Requesting a Ballot: Astronauts submit a Federal Post Card Application to request an absentee ballot.

Filling Out the Ballot: Once the application is approved, an encrypted electronic ballot is sent to the astronaut on the ISS.

Transmitting the Vote: The completed ballot is transmitted through NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System to a ground antenna at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico.

Delivery to Election Officials: From New Mexico, the ballot is transferred to NASA’s Johnson Space Center and then sent to the relevant county clerk for counting.

The encryption ensures that only the astronaut and the county clerk can access the ballot, maintaining the integrity of the vote.

As Sunita Williams and her fellow astronauts exercise their right to vote from the vast expanse of space, they demonstrate the far-reaching commitment to democracy. This unique voting process not only underscores the importance of every vote but also highlights the innovative ways in which technology supports civic participation, no matter where one is in the universe.