KAKA, Ariz. — The tiny village of Kaka in the Tohono O'odahm community is far off the beaten path.
Settled in the early 1930s, it has no stores, no cell reception; one church with no formal services; a scattered dozen or so houses. It's a town defined completely and utterly by the roughly 200 people who live there. And its name couldn't be more fitting.
Translated into English, Kaka means open space.
It is one of the most remote polling place in Arizona and the smallest in Maricopa County. The community has just over 40 registered voters.
Ryder Pilone is one of those voters, and one of the village's first residents. Now, he's one of its most vocal advocates.
“I believe within the last, I want to say 8 to 12 years, that we really pushed our people in the community of Kaka to start voting," Pilone said.
Pilone says the community has long understood the importance of voting in tribal elections but convincing them their vote also mattered in state and federal elections was more of a challenge.
Not only did he and other members have to educate, they needed to make sure everyone was registered to vote as well.
“It was kind of hard to really have them understand that, said Pilone. “Because lack of, why does my vote count now?”
To make sure the small community has a voice, Maricopa County Elections makes a concerted effort to bring in satellites, internet and voting equipment to the town's one-room community center.
It's here where maybe several dozen people will vote on election day.
Alvin Manuel is one of the volunteer poll workers.
“I feel great, said Manuel. “At least I’m doing something positive. I just enjoy it.”
Just like everywhere else, polls in the Kaka community open on election day at 6 a.m.
There might be fewer people than most polling locations, but this community knows, their vote matters just as much.
“If you’re sitting there and trying to figure out, what does it matter? It does matter,” said Pilone. “Why? Because… some of the things that make you an existence as far as human is concerned, you better go out there and vote.”
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