USPS Postmark Rule Change Sparks Outcry Over Election Ballots and Critical Deadlines

By Nicole Weatherholtz | Wednesday, 31 December 2025 03:30 PM EST

A new U.S. Postal Service rule clarifying what a postmark represents has triggered widespread criticism online, with users warning the policy could create confusion and jeopardize time-sensitive mail—including election ballots, tax filings, and bill payments.

Postmarks, which include a USPS date stamp, are often used as proof that a piece of mail was submitted by a legal deadline. However, the rule—which took effect last week—clarifies that a postmark does not “necessarily” reflect the date the U.S. Postal Service first accepted possession of the mail. This distinction has drawn sharp reaction on social media, with some users condemning the change as unfair and demanding immediate reform.

“The post mark rule change is utter BS,” Peggy posted online. “You need machines that electronically add a postmark as soon as letter is put in the box. Even if those machines are only inside the post office. Too many events depend on the postmark date. Whoever came up with this idea should be FIRED!!!!”

Critics argue the clarification could undermine critical deadlines for voters, taxpayers, and others reliant on postmarks to validate submissions. The timing has drawn heightened scrutiny because many states use postmark dates to count mailed ballots received after Election Day. Voting by mail expanded during the pandemic and accounted for about 30% of turnout in the 2024 election, down from a high of 43% in 2020.

The U.S. Postal Service maintains it has not altered its postmarking practices but issued the rule to provide clarity. The agency explains most postmarks are applied at regional mail-processing hubs rather than local post offices where customers drop off mail. This change coincides with broader efforts to streamline operations, including eliminating multiple daily trips between post office locations and processing facilities. As a result, some Americans—particularly in rural areas far from processing hubs—may experience delays before receiving a postmark.

The dispute over late-arriving ballots has reached the Supreme Court, which is deciding whether states may count mail-in ballots received after Election Day. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has continued pushing to restrict mail-in voting, criticizing it as rife with fraud and signing an executive order in March to mandate changes to mail-in balloting practices. Four states—Kansas, North Dakota, Ohio, and Utah—eliminated grace periods for counting ballots received after Election Day in 2025.

To ensure a postmark, customers can take their mail to a retail counter at a post office and request manual processing, according to the U.S. Postal Service.