lynnwoodtimes.com: Recent changes to U.S. Postal Service (USPS) policies have introduced delays in postmarking mail, which could result in mail-in ballots being discarded if they don’t receive a timely postmark in Washington state.
With Election Day approaching on Tuesday, November 4, Snohomish County Elections is reminding voters to use one of the county’s 35 official ballot drop boxes to return a ballot in the final days before the election.
“Using an official ballot drop box is the best way to make sure your ballot is received on time, especially in the final days before Election Day,” said Snohomish County Auditor Garth Fell. “Ballots deposited in an official ballot drop box are collected regularly by trained election staff and securely delivered directly to Snohomish County Elections for processing.”
The USPS’s Regional Transportation Optimization (RTO) initiative, part of the broader Delivering for America plan launched in 2021, has reduced evening mail pickups at post offices. This means mail—including ballots—dropped off at these locations may not be processed or postmarked until the following day (or later, such as over weekends), even if submitted before the cutoff time.
In Washington state where ballots must be postmarked by Election Day to be counted (even if received later), a delayed postmark could invalidate them. This issue affects rural areas most severely, as many post offices there lack same-day processing.
It is recommend avoiding last-minute mailing via USPS and instead use an official drop box, the Snohomish County Auditor’s Office in Everett, a voter services locations in Lynnwood, Monroe, and Arlington, or request a free manual postmark at a post office counter to ensure the date aligns with submission.
Voters have until 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 4, to return their ballot to an official ballot drop box. Drop box locations are open 24 hours a day until 8 p.m. on Election Night and are a convenient and secure option for voters to return their completed ballots.
Read more: WA voters urged to avoid mailing ballots, use drop boxes amid USPS postmark delays – Lynnwood Times