Coconino County is testing a ballot-collecting drone in the Grand Canyon to make voting easier for members of the Havasupai Tribe.
Historically, ballots have been hiked out of the canyon or packed out by horses and mules. County officials are now working with the sheriff’s office and the tribe to test out the drone’s viability to deliver and return ballots for next year’s election.
Coconino County Recorder Patty Hansen said “It just makes more sense than trying to have somebody hike out at 2 or 3 in the morning…that 9 or 10 mile hike out of the canyon in the dark…”
Hansen said the county has asked the Federal Aviation Administration for permission to fly the drone into and out of Grand Canyon on election day.
There are 450 members of the Havasupai tribe living in the Grand Canyon.
About 100 are registered voters.
