'Proud to be American': Sunita Williams, other astronauts post US Election Day photo from space after voting early

On US election day, astronauts Butch Wilmore, Sunita Williams, and Don Pettit shared shared a picture of themselves on Instagram.

On US election day, astronauts Butch Wilmore, Sunita Williams, and Don Pettit shared shared a picture of themselves on Instagram while sporting socks in patriotic hues. Out of three, the socks of two astronauts featured a message -- “Proud to be American.”

According to the Texas Harris County Clerk of Court's Office, the three astronauts cast early ballots for president from the International Space Station.

Over 1.2 million individuals. including the astronauts, cast early ballots in Harris County, Texas.

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Here’s how astronauts cast their votes

Ballots cast in space are sent to Earth via NASA's Near Space Network, a network of satellites in orbit that connect to antennas on Earth, much like the majority of data sent between the space station and mission control.

During a press conference from the space station on September 13, Williams told reporters, “It's a very important duty that we have as citizens, and I'm looking forward to being able to vote from space, which is pretty cool.”

Voting from space has been possible for American astronauts since 1997, when the Texas Legislature passed a bill that stated “a person who meets the eligibility requirements of a voter… but who will be on a space flight during the early-voting period and on election day”.

In the same year, NASA astronaut David Wolf, who spent four months aboard Russia's Mir Space Station, became the first US citizen to “vote while you float.”

Leroy Chiao, a now-retired NASA astronaut, was one of several astronauts who have since cast ballots from space.