Illinois is among the states that could be affected by a new U.S. Postal Service rule.
A Postal Service rule that took effect Dec. 24 says mail may not receive a postmark on the same day the agency takes possession of it. The Postal Service says it is not changing existing postmark practices and is only clarifying policy, but some election officials have relied on postmarks as proof that mail ballots were cast before polls closed.
The rule has implications for 14 states and Washington, D.C., that count ballots arriving after Election Day if they are postmarked on or before that day, commonly known as a “ballot grace period.” In those states, ballots mailed by voters before the deadline may not be counted if the Postal Service applies a postmark after Election Day.
The rule states that “the postmark date does not necessarily indicate the first day that the Postal Service had possession of the mailpiece.”
The timing coincides with a U.S. Supreme Court case that could eliminate ballot grace periods nationwide. A ruling is expected late this spring or next summer and could make concerns about the postmark policy moot.
The Postal Service defended the change in a response published in the Federal Register, emphasizing that it does not administer elections and does not advocate for or against voting by mail.
The agency repeated its advice that voters mail completed ballots at least a week before Election Day and noted that voters may request a manual postmark.