Why mailing a ballot close to Election Day may get it rejected for a late postmark

Voters who return mail ballots late in the campaign season face a new hazard: an envelope that goes uncancelled the day it is sent and is later thrown out because of its postmark. The problem traces to Postal Service changes begun in April 2025, mainly in rural areas, that cut daily pickups and altered processing. As a result, mail may not be stamped on the day a carrier or collection box takes it. Because many election offices use the postmark to judge timeliness, some officials are urging people to deliver ballots to election offices or drop boxes, according to NPR.

Starting Oct. 26, affected post offices are directed to set ballots apart so managers can add postmarks by hand on collection day. That step was absent in this year's primaries, where rejection rates climbed in several states. The agency still advises mailing a week ahead of a state's deadline and, where late arrivals are allowed, requesting a hand postmark. It is starting its special measures later than it did in 2022 and 2024, saying the timing reflects internal factors.

Summarized by PolitiKool from NPR’s reporting. Read the full story at NPR →