Yes, we know people love their absentee ballots. But for purists, voting by mail isn’t right and it’s just asking for huge problems.

Some of these problems are easily discernible. King County’s mail vote counting in the 2004 gubernatorial race became a national joke. And last week in Island County, a mistake sent scores of voters two school bond election ballots, while scores of others received no ballot. Meanwhile, Island County law enforcement is looking for 400 people with suspicious signatures from recent elections.

And then there are the problems that aren’t so discernible. With ballots sitting around the house or apartment complex like junk mail, who knows who’s voting, or who’s signing the ballots? Some people vote twice, perhaps for a disinterested spouse who is willing to sign a ballot. Others probably vote the way they are told, not wanting to cause a scene at the kitchen table. Some might trade their vote for a bottle of cheap fortified wine.

Mail voting undermines the two pillars of democracy: One-man, one-vote, and the secret ballot. Sure, it’s convenient, but it’s wrong.