Astronauts To Vote From Space In this day and age, people engage
in their right to vote from all over the world. But this Nov. 4,
few ballots will have traveled as far as those cast by two NASA
astronauts. Commander Edward Michael Fincke and Flight Engineer
and Science Officer Greg Chamitoff are living and working
onboard the International Space Station. Though they are 220
miles above Earth and orbiting at 17,500 miles per hour, they
will still be able to participate in the upcoming election. A
1997 bill passed by Texas legislators sets up a technical
procedure for astronauts -- nearly all of whom live in Houston
-- to vote from space. A secure electronic ballot, generated by
the Harris and Brazoria County Clerk's office, is uplinked by
NASA's Johnson Space Center Mission Control Center. An e-mail
with crew member-specific credentials is sent from the County
Clerk to the crew member. These credentials allow the crew
member to access the secure ballot. The astronauts will cast
their votes and a secure complet