If you want to keep reading, scroll down.
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→ HERE’S WHAT’S CHANGED
BEFORE: A postmark usually showed the day you dropped your mail into an official USPS mailbox or at the post office.
NOW: A postmark shows the day USPS’s automated system processes your mail, which can happen days after you drop it off.
In plain terms: You can mail your ballot on time — but if it’s processed late, it may be marked late, and your vote won’t count.
→ WHY THIS MATTERS
About 1 in 3 Americans voted by mail in 2024 — and now, a delay between drop-off and processing could be the difference between your vote being counted. These changes could impact:
- 149 million people, across 70% of U.S. ZIP codes.
- Mail pick-ups at roughly 24,000 of the country’s 33,700 post offices.
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28 states that allow all residents to vote by mail, with eight states (plus D.C.) that run elections entirely by mail.
In fact, nearly 104,000 mail-in ballots were rejected last year because they arrived too late. This is especially concerning for voters who rely on vote by mail, including:
📍Rural voters
📍Seniors
📍Voters with disabilities
📍Students
📍Military and overseas voters
→ HOW DO I MAKE SURE MY VOTE GETS COUNTED?
If you plan to register to vote or vote by mail this year, take one of these steps:
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Bring your ballot or voter registration inside the post office and ask for a free, same-day postmark.
- Mail your ballot a week earlier than you think you need to, so it’s processed before your deadline.
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Use an official state or county dropbox instead.
Double-check your state’s vote by mail deadlines using our Voter Hub at WhenWeAllVote.org.
