The International Space Station from the ISS.

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HANDOUT / NASA / AFP

Four American astronauts will vote from the International Space Station (ISS) for the presidential election on November 3.

This will pit Donald Trump against Democratic candidate Joe Biden.

Shannon Walker will fly to the ISS on October 31 with two other Americans and a Japanese aboard a SpaceX rocket.

They will be joined in mid-October by Kate Rubins, another American who will travel aboard another rocket.

The Crew-1 astronauts are a fun bunch:



A few photos of the four (Commander @Astro_illini, Pilot @VicGlover, Specialist Shannon Walker and Specialist @Astro_Soichi) training last week at SpaceX headquarters.

pic.twitter.com/uImeq2bllp

- Michael Sheetz (@thesheetztweetz) September 29, 2020

Electronic and encrypted ballots

"NASA works very well with the various electoral bodies, because we all live in different counties," Shannon Walker said at a press conference.

“It was easier for us to say that we will vote from space.

"

The rules for voting in the United States vary from state to state and often from county to county.

In Texas, where the American astronauts are based, a 1997 law explicitly provides for a voting procedure from space.

Houston election officials have created electronic and encrypted ballots that are sent to astronauts.

Via e-mail, astronauts receive unique identifiers allowing them to access, complete and return the bulletin to Earth.

The procedure is practically the same as for other Americans who vote by mail, with one major difference: the address filled in by the crew is “low earth orbit”.

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