NASA astronauts voted from space for the US midterm elections - Video

While the US is focused on the midterm elections agenda, astronauts in space are also keeping up with these developments. 

US astronauts assigned by NASA and working in space brought ballot boxes to their orbital home once again. Each of them cast a vote for the future of their country.

US astronauts voted from space

Anil Menon, Jessica Watkins, and Luke Delaney, serving on the International Space Station, participated in the midterm elections from orbit by transmitting their electronic ballots to Texas.

As voting for the US Congressional midterm elections continues, three NASA astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) fulfilled their voting duties from orbit. Anil Menon, Jessica Watkins, and Luke Delaney sent their votes to Earth via electronic ballots.

Sleep pod became a voting booth

Anil Menon, one of the astronauts on the station, converted his sleep pod into a voting booth. In a video shared on his social media account, Menon stated that he filled out his electronic ballot on his computer and sent the data to Harris County, Texas.

Following Menon, crewmates Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney also cast their votes using the same method. Thus, all three American astronauts on the space station participated in the midterm election process.

Why were votes sent to Harris County, Texas?

The astronauts transmitting their votes directly to Harris County is based on a specific legal reason. This county hosts NASA's Johnson Space Center and Mission Control Center. Due to this center, the official voter registrations of astronauts serving in orbit are located in Harris County.

Voting from orbit began in 1997

American astronauts voting from space is not a new practice. Under US law, astronauts have been able to participate in elections from their space stations since 1997. This legal framework allows personnel on long-duration orbital missions to exercise their democratic rights.