A cost-cutting change to how the Postal Service handles outgoing mail at post offices is quietly undermining the vote-by-mail process. In states that rely on Election Day postmarks, a growing share of ballots are being rejected — not for arriving late, but for lacking a timely postmark.
Earlier this week, a special election was held in Washington state, with counties voting on school budgets, bond issues, and other local measures. In advance of the election, state officials urged voters to use ballot drop boxes rather than the U.S. mail. They warned that recent changes at the Postal Service put ballots at risk of being rejected due to late postmarks.
According to the Washington Secretary of State, in the 2024 presidential election, about 4,600 ballots were disqualified for late postmarks. In the special election in November 2025, the total number of ballots was half that of 2024, yet the number of late-postmark rejections jumped to nearly 15,000.
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