NASA astronaut Anil Menon casts his vote from space (Img: X)
New Delhi: Indian origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon has shared a video showing how he exercised his voting right in the 2026 US midterm elections from aboard the International Space Station (ISS), orbiting more than 400 km above Earth.
Menon was among three American astronauts stationed at the orbital laboratory who cast their votes in the November 3 elections. His fellow crew members, Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, also participated in the electoral process through electronic ballots.
"Yes, you can even vote from space! All three US crew members had the privilege of voting from space station. We filled out an electronic ballot and sent it securely to the election officials," Menon said in a post on X.
Yes, you can even vote from space! All three US crew members had the privilege of voting from space station. We filled out an electronic ballot and sent it securely to the election officials. https://t.co/hJCExQ2nKr
— Anil Menon (@astro_anil) November 3, 2026
In the video, Menon showed how he used a computer in his sleeping compartment aboard the ISS to complete and submit his ballot to election officials in Harris County, Texas. The county is home to NASA's Johnson Space Center and Mission Control.
The electronic voting arrangement enables astronauts to participate in elections even when they are on missions in space. After completing their ballots, astronauts transmit them securely to election officials through NASA's communication network.
The ballots are encrypted to safeguard voters' privacy and can only be accessed by the astronaut concerned and the authorised election official.
Menon arrived at the space station on July 14 aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Watkins and Delaney joined the orbital laboratory on October 1 following a SpaceX mission.
Also Read: US Midterms: Can MAGA Republicans Block Democrats From Taking House Seats?
Voting from space is not a new practice for American astronauts. They have been exercising their voting rights during space missions since 1997 under an electronic absentee voting arrangement.
Astronauts can apply for absentee ballots before leaving Earth and complete the voting process electronically while in orbit, allowing them to remain part of the democratic process despite being hundreds of kilometres away from home.
The 2026 US midterm elections will determine which party controls Congress. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 seats in the Senate are being contested, along with several gubernatorial and local election races.
Also Read: US Midterms 2026: How Does America’s Voting System Differ From India’s?
