Texas is the only state which allows its residents to vote from space. The first person to vote from space was Houston, TX resident David Wolf, after Texas passed the voting law in 1997. In order for any space-bound residents to vote, Texas county officials work with NASA to prepare the ballots, which are then beamed to the International Space Station from Mission Control. Since 1997, other Texan astronauts have voted from space, including Shannon Walker, Douglas Wheelock, and Scott Kelly.
More about astronauts:
- Due to the weightlessness aboard the International Space Station, astronauts need to exercise daily to maintain some muscle. Astronauts must strap themselves to machines like treadmills in order to use them in the zero-gravity environment.
- Astronauts earn an annual salary between $64,724 and $141,715 USD.
- Currently, NASA has no age restrictions for the Astronaut Candidate Program.
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More Info: San Antonio Express-News
Discussion Comments
Sounds like public relations hype. I think all states have provisions for absentee ballots for persons out of the country on business or armed forces on tours. Texas is a backward-looking, potentially secessionist state.
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