In the United States, the first Tuesday of November (this year, November 4) is a very important day in politics — Election Day (and the day the political ads finally come to an end … Hooray!). For those of you who have some random reason as to why you couldn’t vote early or can’t make it to your voting location on Election Day, NASA has ruined your “good” excuse.
How? Well, even the two NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station cast their ballots in early voting November 3. Yup, thanks to a Texas bill passed in 1997 that allows astronauts to vote from space, Expedition 18 Commander E. Michael Fincke and Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff chose their political leaders — from low Earth orbit. They even recorded a video urging Americans to exercise their right to vote. How cool is that? So if you’re thinking work, school, or other responsibilities can get in the way of your vote, remember this: If our astronauts can do it from space, you can do it from Earth, too.