A relatively minor change at the U.S. Postal Service could have big impacts on future elections. In total, there are 14 states that allow mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day to be counted, so long as those ballots are postmarked by Election Day. Some of these states also conduct elections entirely or predominantly by mail, specifically California, Nevada, Washington and Oregon.
A recent change to how the U.S. Postal Service postmarks letters is colliding with election administration across the country — but not every state, even those that conduct elections fully by mail, will be impacted. Still, critics say the move is set to sow chaos ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
