USPS delays could cause 20K more Washington ballot rejections
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
A box of ballots at the King County Elections office. Photo: Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images
Changes to how the U.S. Postal Service processes mail could lead to an additional 20,000 Washington ballots being rejected for late postmarks this year, according to University of Washington researchers.
Why it matters: Under new Postal Service procedures, ballots are not always being postmarked the same day as they're mailed, prompting election officials to urge Washington voters to use ballot drop boxes instead.
How it works: State law requires ballots to be counted as long as they are postmarked by Election Day, even if they arrive afterward.
Yes, but: Changes to USPS transportation operations last year have caused some mail to take longer to reach mail processing facilities, delaying postmarks in some cases.
- The new system makes it more likely that mail will be postmarked on a different day than it's mailed, the agency says.
- That could cause ballots to get rejected for having a late postmark, even if they were placed in the mail by Election Day.
What they found: Late ballot rejection rates rose as the postal service changes expanded across Washington last year, with rural voters especially vulnerable, UW researchers found.
- The average late ballot rejection rate across Washington counties reached 1.1% in the 2025 general election, roughly double the typical rate, the researchers found.
By the numbers: UW researchers estimate roughly 20,000 more Washington ballots could be rejected for late postmarks this election than in a typical congressional election year.
- That's a rough estimate based on past election data, assuming voters don't change when or how they return their ballots, research lead Scott Allard told Axios.
- USPS has indicated it will try to prioritize ballots in affected areas, but it's unclear where or how that will happen, Allard said.
- The UW team's research brief has not yet been peer-reviewed.
What's next: UW researchers and election officials say the safest way to return your ballot is by placing it in a ballot drop box by 8pm on Election Day.
- If you must mail your ballot, you can take it to a post office and ask a postal worker to postmark it on the spot.