Astronauts cast votes from outer space


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From 220 miles above Earth, three American astronauts voted in today’s election from the International Space Station.

U.S. Army Col. Douglas Wheelock, Shannon Walker and Navy Capt. Scott Kelly voted on ballots created by officials in Texas that were sent up to the spaceship from Mission Control.

In 1997, Texas passed a law allowing astronauts to vote in elections from space.

“I voted on Sunday through an electronic e-mail system,” Kelly told Space.com via video conferencing. “It felt like an honor and privilege to exercise our rights as U.S. citizens from the International Space Station.”

The astronaut’s ballots are beamed back to Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center and delivered to their respective county clerk’s offices.