NASA astronaut Anil Menon votes from space with 2 crewmates in US midterms
Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon joined two of his crewmates aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in casting their votes in the US midterm elections, proving that being hundreds of kilometres above Earth is no barrier to exercising one's democratic right.
Menon shared a video on X on Tuesday, offering a glimpse of how astronauts can participate in elections while stationed in space. His sleeping quarters aboard the orbital laboratory served as his makeshift polling booth, where he used a computer to complete and electronically submit his ballot.
"Yes, you can even vote from space! All three US crew members had the privilege of voting from space station. We filled out an electronic ballot and sent it securely to the election officials," Menon wrote.Yes, you can even vote from space! All three US crew members had the privilege of voting from space station. We filled out an electronic ballot and sent it securely to the election officials. https://t.co/hJCExQ2nKr— Anil Menon (@astro_anil) November 3, 2026
His fellow astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney also participated in the voting process, submitting their ballots to election authorities in Harris County, Texas.
Although the astronauts are stationed far beyond US territory, a special electronic voting arrangement allows them to remain part of the electoral process.
The ballots were sent to Harris County, which is home to NASA's Johnson Space Center and Mission Control. The centre plays a crucial role in coordinating activities and maintaining communication with astronauts aboard the ISS.
The voting process relies on a secure electronic system. Ballots are encrypted before transmission, ensuring that they can be accessed only by the respective astronaut and the authorised election officials, thereby safeguarding the confidentiality of their votes.
The transmission takes place through NASA's Near Space Network, which handles communications between spacecraft and ground-based facilities. The network is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.MENON ARRIVED AT ISS IN JULY
Menon reached the International Space Station on July 14 aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Watkins and Delaney joined the orbital outpost later, arriving on October 1 as part of a SpaceX mission.
The three astronauts' participation reflects a practice that has been in place for nearly three decades. US astronauts have been able to cast ballots from space since 1997, when Texas introduced a mechanism allowing crew members on space missions to vote electronically.
The arrangement enables astronauts to exercise their voting rights even when their assignments keep them away from Earth during elections.- Ends
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