Ballot rejections soared in rural counties after USPS cuts
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
ProPublica found late-ballot rejection rates doubled or tripled in areas hit by USPS cuts versus the 2022 primary.
Washington officials urge early voting before the Nov. 3 general election.
Background
ProPublica, a nonprofit investigative newsroom, analyzed mail-in ballot data from five states — Washington, California, Ohio, North Carolina and Oregon — all of which have or recently had grace periods letting late-arriving ballots count if postmarked by the deadline. The analysis followed changes at the US Postal Service, which according to the US Government Accountability Office stopped collecting mail multiple times a day at certain locations to cut costs; USPS spokesperson Janella Herron confirmed there are now fewer collection times. Garth Fell, president of the Washington State Association of County Auditors, said missing the single morning pickup can leave mail sitting at a post office for 24 hours, and in extreme cases mail has taken up to a week or two to reach elections offices.
How it unfolded
- Dec 2025USPS clarified its postmarking policy through a rule stating postmarks are generally applied at processing facilities.
- Aug 2026In Washington's August primary, more than 20,000 ballots were rejected for not being postmarked by election day, up from around 16,000 in the 2024 primary. Mason County on the Olympic Peninsula saw late ballots quadruple versus 2024.
- Sep 2026Sen. Maria Cantwell said at a press conference that the post office takes ballots as mail but does not stamp them that day, waiting until a distribution center and postmarking later.
- Oct 19, 2026Election officials urged Washington voters to return ballots early ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.
- Oct 22, 2026ProPublica published its analysis finding late-ballot rejection rates doubled or tripled this year in areas affected by USPS cuts compared with the 2022 primary, while that wasn't the case elsewhere.
- Nov 3, 2026General election date; USPS says special procedures in place should prevent similar delays.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Garth Fell of the Washington State Association of County Auditors says USPS switched in some locations from multiple daily pickups to one, typically in the morning, so missing it leaves mail at the post office for 24 hours.
- Official
- USPS says it has not changed its postmarking policy, posted guidance that locations can set up clerk-only lines to postmark ballots, and will work to expedite ballots from late October through Nov. 3.
- Party
- Sen. Maria Cantwell said the post office takes ballots as mail but does not stamp them that day, postmarking later at a distribution center, which may delay the actual vote.
- Expert
- Experts say mistakes are likely despite the special procedures for the Nov. 3 election.
Still unverified
Experts warned that mistakes are likely despite USPS special procedures for the Nov. 3 election; USPS maintains its special procedures should prevent similar delays.