The United States Postal Service’s (USPS) recent initiatives to enhance operational efficiency and cut costs have introduced new challenges for mail-in ballots. The delay in postmarking mail until it reaches a processing facility, typically a day after collection, could significantly affect the voting process, especially in rural areas.
States such as Nevada, Texas, and New York, where ballots can be counted after election day if postmarked by then, are particularly impacted. This policy is in place in 14 states, as reported by the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar is actively searching for solutions ahead of the upcoming June primary elections. He humorously suggested using Apple tags to track ballots, stating, “You just put an Apple tag on every mail ballot, and you know where it is at all times, and we can just go online and see when it came into possession. But again, that’s not practical. It’s not cheap.”
Aguilar also mentioned that encouraging voters to use drop boxes on Election Day could be a viable alternative, though it may extend the time counties need to process ballots. Meanwhile, USPS maintains its advice for voters to send mail ballots at least a week before Election Day, but Aguilar feels it is premature for Nevada to officially endorse this recommendation.
He acknowledged voters’ inclination to wait until closer to Election Day, saying, “I could understand a voter’s desire to want to wait closer to election day because campaigns are competitive. You learn new information about the candidate, you learn new information about the issues, and you want to make sure that the vote you’re casting is really representative of what your views are and it’s impactful. It determines the future of our state.”
A USPS spokesperson informed KUNR via email that postmarks are not meant to indicate when ballots are collected. Instead, voters seeking assurance can request a hand-stamped postmark at a post office. The USPS does not foresee a need for additional staffing but will keep an eye on the situation as Election Day approaches.
The ultimate resolution to this issue might come from a higher authority, as the U.S. Supreme Court is set to rule on whether states can accept ballots postmarked by Election Day that arrive later.
