Millions of Americans have already participated in early voting, either in person at the polls or with their absentee ballots — including those citizens who happen to be stationed out of this world.
According to The Associated Press, NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough filed his absentee vote for the presidential election from the International Space Station this week. Aside from doing his civic duty, Kimbrough apparently wanted to say: "I voted from space."
NASA explained that a secure electronic ballot is sent to the astronauts from Mission Control in Houston, thanks to a 1997 Texas law giving astronauts the franchise. The ballot is then downlinked back to Earth once it's been completed, and forwarded to the county clerk's office in Houston.
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Kimbrough launched on Oct. 19 and will be back in February — but it's safe to say that if he can cast a ballot even during extraplanetary travel, then maybe no one really has a good reason for sitting this election out.
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