The USPS just changed how postmarks work - and it will affect MAIL-IN VOTING while hitting Americans with late fees on everything from tax payments to rent checks.
Starting in 2026, your postmark date won’t reflect when you actually mailed something anymore. Instead of stamping mail with the date you dropped it in a mailbox or handed it to a postal worker, USPS will now mark it with whenever their sorting machine gets around to processing it - potentially days later.
JUST IN TIME FOR NEXT YEARS MIDTERM ELECTIONS
FYI - if you go inside the post office and hand it to the clerk, you can have them manually postmark it received that day. I know this does not help people who don't/can't drive, but it does let you still have more flexibility about the timing of your vote if you're scheduled to work on voting day or a person of color concerned about ICE agents or other intimidation tomfuckery at your polling place.























