NASA astronauts vote from space using secure absentee ballots

NASA astronauts on the International Space Station can vote in U.S. elections using absentee ballots. They coordinate with their local county clerk's office and utilize NASA's Space Communication and Navigation Program for secure ballot transmission. Votes are sent through NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System to a ground facility in New Mexico, then to Mission Control in Houston, and finally to the appropriate county clerk. The process ensures ballot integrity through encryption. Astronauts have been voting from space since 1997, with the first vote cast by David Wolf aboard the Mir Space Station. The latest astronaut to vote was Kate Rubins in November 2020.