the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, we’re all familiar with the various ways to cast a ballot—mail, absentee, or in-person at a polling station. But what about those voters who are a bit further from home… like in outer space? Yes, NASA astronauts actually have the opportunity to vote while orbiting Earth, thanks to an extraordinary system NASA has in place.
So, how do they do it? NASA’s process allows astronauts to submit their ballots while on board using the agency’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) system. Here’s how it works:
- Astronauts receive their ballot, which is encrypted and uploaded to the space station’s computer systems.
- The ballot is sent through TDRS, then transmitted to NASA’s ground terminal in New Mexico.
- Finally, the ballot is securely routed to the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, where it’s processed and sent to the astronaut’s county clerk.
Rosio Torres-Segura from the Harris County Clerk’s Office explains, “Crew-specific credentials allow access to a secure ballot, sent as a fillable document so astronauts can select, save, and return it.” After successful testing, astronauts’ live ballots are printed and processed just like any other.
Special Rules Apply
Astronauts voting from space must still meet election deadlines, similar to absentee ballots. And they must apply to vote from space by a specific deadline as outlined in the Texas Election Code. Texas remains the only state that explicitly allows this unique process due to its provision for NASA astronauts. However, astronauts registered elsewhere still have options under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) if needed.
A Tradition Since 1997
Astronauts voting from space isn’t a new phenomenon. Since 1997, when Texas passed a bill allowing astronauts to cast ballots from orbit, they’ve participated in elections while in space. David Wolf was the first to do so, voting from the Mir Space Station in 1997, and in 2020, astronaut Kate Rubins made her mark by voting from the International Space Station during the U.S. presidential election.
Even 250 miles above Earth, astronauts are making their voices heard, showing us all that no matter where you are—even in orbit—voting matters!
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