FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Coconino County officials are testing a ballot-collecting drone to make voting easier for members of the Havasupai Tribe whose members live deep within the Grand Canyon.
Ballots have been hiked out of the canyon or packed out by horses and mules.
Flagstaff radio station KNAU reports that 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 the 2020 election.
County Recorder Patty Hansen says officials have asked the Federal Aviation Administration for permission to fly the drone into and out of Grand Canyon on election day.
According to KNAU, there are 450 members of the Havasupai tribe living in the Grand Canyon and about 100 of them are registered voters.