Sunita Williams Cast Votes for US Election:
There is tough competition between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump for the US election. Votes are being cast. In such a situation, the astronauts present on the International Space Station also participated in this process. The astronauts voted for their favorite candidate from the International Space Station itself.
Votes are being cast for the US presidential election. Other NASA astronauts including Sunita Williams from the International Space Station have also cast their votes from space. The astronauts not only voted to choose their favorite candidate between Kamala Harris and Trump but also appealed to other people to vote.
There are currently 4 NASA astronauts present on the International Space Station. These include Sunita Williams who is stranded on the ISS due to a malfunction in the spacecraft, apart from Don Petit, Nick Hague, and Butch Wilmore of SpaceX Crew-9. Sunita Williams described voting as a responsibility. She also described this voting experience as unique because she is able to vote from space.
What is the process of voting from space?
NASA has provided facilities to astronauts living outside the planet to participate in elections through the NASA Space Communication and Navigation Program. Under this, when an astronaut goes on a mission, he has to register for voting beforehand, for this, the astronaut has to fill out the federal postcard application. This application can also be filled by other citizens who are either out for the country’s work or are in the force who are posted in another country. When Sunita Williams went to space, she did not know that she would stay there till the elections. Therefore, she could not apply. However, she is stuck, so she has been given this opportunity.
How are votes cast in space?
First of all, NASA checks whether the astronaut who has gone on a mission has enough contact so that he can cast his vote within the time limit. For this, a test ballot is sent to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, from there it is sent to the astronaut at the ISS and it is tested whether the astronaut can cast the vote and send the ballot back. If it passes the test, only then the real ballot is sent.
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How is the process completed?
After the ballot paper reaches the astronaut, he votes. After that, the encrypted version of this ballot is uploaded from the computer system of ISS. With the help of NASA’s TDRS i.e. Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, it reaches the ground terminal in New Mexico. From here, with the help of a landline, it is transmitted to NASA’s Johnson Space Station in Houston, and from there, it reaches the county clerk who includes it in the counting.
Encrypted ballot paper is sent:
The real paper is encrypted and sent to the astronaut. The ballot paper is sent to each astronaut separately and ballot each person has a different code. It is an electronic ballot paper that is filled out electronically and sent back through email. The clerk also has a different password for each ballot paper which ensures that there is no tampering with the vote.
Sunita Williams has previously cast her vote from space as well:
Votes have been cast from space before, David Wolf was the first to vote from space in 1997. Since then, astronauts have been following it continuously. Sunita Williams has given a vote from space twice before in 2016 and 2020. Sunita Williams and Wich will now stay on the International Space Station till 2025.
