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2h ago

Three U.S. Astronauts Cast Encrypted Ballots From the International Space Station

NASA used its Space Communications and Navigation network to carry encrypted absentee ballots to county election officials to protect vote access and integrity.

La participación de los astronautas de la NASA se llevó a cabo este martes mediante un sistema de papeletas electrónicas seguras que permitió completar el proceso fuera del planeta.
Mientras, en tierra los ciudadanos también definen el rumbo político del país. Foto: Frederic J. BROWN / AFP
El astronauta Anil Menon confirmó la operación a través de sus redes sociales con un mensaje optimista que rápidamente captó la atención pública. REUTERS

Overview

  • The three astronauts completed and transmitted their electronic ballots on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, during U.S. midterm voting.
  • NASA said the ballots were encrypted aboard the station and sent over its SCaN communications network until the agency transferred them to the county election secretary.
  • Those who voted were Anil Menon, Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, with Menon posting a video from his sleeping quarters confirming he had voted and wearing an 'I voted' pin.
  • Menon arrived on Soyuz MS-29 on July 14 and Watkins and Delaney launched with SpaceX Crew-13 on Oct. 1, which left the three U.S. crew members subject to NASA’s absentee-voting procedures for long missions.
  • Officials and reporters noted the process worked with no reported problems, showing how NASA’s procedure lets astronauts retain their voting rights while missions continue and drawing public attention during high-stakes midterm contests.