Former Astronauts Urge Respect for Midterm Results
The open letter from a 103-member nonpartisan coalition reasserts that states, not federal agencies, control election administration.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Space
Live Poll
Do you trust that election results will be respected and upheld, regardless of who wins?
Astronauts for America, a nonpartisan nonprofit of former NASA astronauts formed in April 2026, co-signed an open letter urging respect for free and fair election results. The letter, signed by all members of the 103-member coalition and also by National Security Leaders for America and Leadership Now, was shared on Instagram on Nov. 2, 2026, the eve of the midterm election. This is a current public advocacy action, not a technology development.
Why it matters
The letter states that federal authority is not a license for any president or federal agency to take over state election administration, and it encourages citizens to contact elected officials to urge certification of valid results. It was issued ahead of the midterms to urge that results be upheld regardless of outcome, and many polls predicted a blue wave with Democrats making gains.
The figures are a membership count of 103 former astronauts and a signatory total of more than 100, drawn from the group's own statement rather than an independent survey. The source does not provide a measurable comparator, so the count describes the coalition's size only.
The players
Astronauts for America
A nonpartisan nonprofit of former NASA astronauts formed in April 2026 that encourages voting and urges respect for election results.
National Security Leaders for America
A group that co-signed the open letter alongside Astronauts for America.
Leadership Now
A group that co-signed the open letter alongside Astronauts for America.
The details
Astronauts for America is a nonpartisan nonprofit of former NASA astronauts, formed in April 2026, and its stated primary objective is touring college campuses and other venues to encourage voting. The open letter was shared on social media and posted on the group's website, and it asks citizens to contact elected officials to urge certification of valid election results. The letter's central legal argument is that federal authority does not license a president or federal agency to take over the administration of state elections.
Timeline
April 2026: Astronauts for America was formed.
Nov. 2, 2026: The open letter was signed and shared on Instagram.
Nov. 3, 2026: The midterm election was held with polling places open nationwide.
The Tech Race
This story is a civic advocacy action rather than a technology development, so it does not place a technology within a competitive or research race. The source describes no product, research program, or technical milestone that could be compared against a competing effort.
The letter encourages citizens to contact their elected officials to urge certification of valid election results, which is an action readers can take directly. The source does not specify any timeline for certification or any specific deadline for contacting officials.
The takeaway
Readers who want to track this should watch for the certification of the midterm results by state officials in the weeks after Nov. 3, 2026. Whether those certifications proceed as the letter urges is the concrete outcome to follow.
Further reading
For context on the former NASA astronauts behind this effort, see more in the Space section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Florida Times-Union.
Live Poll
Do you trust that election results will be respected and upheld, regardless of who wins?
