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In French Polynesia, an exceptional operation is carried out on the eve of each election: that of the aerial dropping of ballot papers and professions of faith in the islands without an airstrip and with limited maritime links.
These are the final adjustments before takeoff. In the absence of airports, soldiers are tasked with dropping packages containing voting materials. The southernmost island of the Australs and Polynesia is revealed. The procedure is the same for each flight: a first pass to locate the area is essential, especially in Rapa, a high island whose relief requires careful preparation. Once the drop site has been identified, the drop hatch can be opened.
Below, fishermen are responsible for recovering the package. Routes are optimized to spend as little fuel as possible. Only an hour later, the guardian flies over the atolls. The absence of relief facilitates the operation. Before the next two drops, the tanks must be filled, so a stopover is made in Moruroa (French Polynesia). The crew must check the equipment again. These airdrops of the second round of the legislative elections will have enabled, in 9 hours of flight and more than 4,000 km, the delivery of nearly 3,000 ballot papers and 800 professions of faith.