Once again, remote lot and home owners have been disenfranchised—this time through the apparent misdirection of ballots to Surfside lot addresses rather than to voters’ actual mailing locations. Whether this error originated with a third-party vendor or internal processing, the responsibility ultimately rests with the election committee overseeing this election.
Update 12-17: the office has indicated the deadline has been pushed out to December 31. Giving time for remote ballots to be counted .
At minimum, the committee should have verified the final mailing list of printed ballots before authorizing distribution. That basic safeguard appears to have been overlooked, and the consequences are significant. Many eligible voters may never receive their ballots at all, while others may receive them too late to return them by the December 22 deadline. An election in which a portion of the electorate is effectively excluded cannot be considered fair or legitimate.
This is not a minor clerical error—it is a systemic failure that directly impacts voter participation. Remote property owners, who already face logistical hurdles in paper-based elections, are once again placed at a disadvantage. The predictable result is lower turnout, skewed representation, and a loss of confidence in the integrity of the process.
Given these circumstances, this election should be invalidated and rerun under a system that ensures equal access for all voters. Proceeding despite known disenfranchisement undermines the credibility of both the results and the governing body administering the election.
What makes this failure especially frustrating is that it was entirely avoidable. Electronic voting platforms such as ElectionBuddy provide proven solutions that eliminate these risks. Even for voters who initially request a paper ballot, a replacement ballot can be securely issued electronically and delivered instantly via email or text message in minutes . This ensures that no voter is excluded due to mailing errors, address discrepancies, or postal delays.
The Surfside ballot mishap is a clear and compelling example of why reliance on paper-only voting is outdated and inadequate—particularly for communities with remote or non-resident voters. Electronic voting is not merely a convenience; it is a necessary safeguard against disenfranchisement.
If the goal is a fair, inclusive, and verifiable election, the path forward is clear. The current election should be set aside, and future elections should adopt secure electronic voting systems that protect every voter’s right to participate—regardless of location.
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Surfside Washington News 