Postmark rules have changed. Experts say vote early or use a drop box

A USPS rule that took effect in December changes the meaning of a postmark. The rule states that the postmark date does not inherently or necessarily align with the date the Postal Service first accepted the mailpiece. Previously, mail was postmarked the day the Postal Service received it, allowing voters to drop ballots in mailboxes on Election Day with confidence they would count. The rule is described as part of broader efforts to restrict vote-by-mail, including claims that mail voting is unreliable and calls to ban it. The rule may create problems for eligible voters because many states qualify mail-in ballots based on postmark dates, including California. A Supreme Court case also involves arguments against counting late-arriving ballots even when postmarked on or before Election Day.

"That new rule, proposed by Trump administration officials last August, changes the meaning of a postmark. While a postmark confirms that the post office is in possession of the piece of mail, the rule says, the date "does not inherently or necessarily align with the date on which the Postal Service first accepted possession of the mailpiece.""

"It's a notable change from the past, when a piece of mail was postmarked the day the Postal Service received it. The old system allowed voters in California and many other states to drop their ballots in a mailbox on Election Day, knowing their votes would count."

"The new rule is part of a broader attack by the Trump administration on vote-by-mail, which was used by more than 48 million Americans in 2024. Donald Trump has repeatedly spread disinformation about the reliability of mail-in voting, calling it "crooked," and has called for the practice to be banned."

"As the Fair Elections Center lays out, the rule change may cause problems for thousands of eligible voters who cast their ballots by mail "because election officials in many states qualify mail-in ballots based on the postmark date," California among them."

Read at The Oaklandside