US presidential election: NASA crew Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore plan to vote from space

Stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) for months, NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore plan to vote in the November 5 US presidential election from space.

“It’s a very important duty that we have as citizens, and (I am) looking forward to being able to vote from space, which is pretty cool,” Williams, who is of Indian origin, said on a telephonic conversation with reporters on Friday afternoon. Williams (58) and Wilmore (61) participated in a press conference on Friday from the ISS, which has been their home since June. Their Boeing Starliner spacecraft ran into several problems mid-flight and could not bring them home from a planned eight-day voyage. “I sent down my request for a ballot today,” Wilmore said. “It’s a very important role that we play as citizens, including those elections, and NASA makes it very easy for us to do that,” he said.