American astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry *Butch* Wilmore, aboard the Starliner 5 spacecraft, set off on an eight-day mission to the International Space Station in early June. But due to unexpected technical problems with the Starliner capsule, manufactured by Boeing, the crew was delayed in space, and will not stay there for another week or two, but until February 2025.
Due to this force majeure, astronauts will not be able to be present in the United States during the presidential election. But since a mission in space is not a reason to not fulfill one’s civic duty and be apolitical, NASA will give astronauts the opportunity to vote.
What we know
According to NBC News, NASA will send astronauts an electronic ballot in the form of a PDF document. It will be password-protected and will allow astronauts to check off the name of a candidate they deem worthy of consideration.
“This is a very important role that we are entrusted with as American citizens and we are pleased that NASA is allowing us to do this in a transparent manner.“, Mr. Wilmore said.
This type of voting has happened before, because under a 1997 Texas law, American astronauts can vote from space since they live and work in Houston, Texas, when they are not in orbit. The only difference is that on previous missions, it was possible to prepare the ballots in advance, whereas today, astronauts have to improvise.
Source: NBC News: NBC News
