TL/DR –
The United States Postal Service (USPS) has updated its postmarking process, with mail brought to a USPS store or dropped in a USPS box not necessarily receiving a postmark the same day. This means postmarks may no longer reliably prove you met a mailing deadline, affecting tax filings, legal documents, and absentee voting. For those needing proof of postage, customers can request a manual postmark at a local retail location or purchase a certificate of mailing.
A new USPS rule changing the postmarking process could cause complications for Wisconsin residents during the upcoming elections and tax season.
Under the new guidelines, mail brought to a USPS store or placed in a USPS box may not receive a postmark that same day, making postmarks unreliable for proving you met a mailing deadline.
Understanding Postmarks
A postmark is a stamp noting the date, location and name of the USPS facility where mail is processed. They help USPS track and cancel postage and have been used as a formal record of meeting mailing deadlines for tax filings, legal documents and absentee voting.
Causes for Postmark and Delivery Delays
Some post offices have reduced the number of dispatches per day, leading to potential delays in postmarking. There are now only 60 regional processing facilities in the US, down from nearly 200 before nationwide consolidation in 2021.
Wisconsin utilizes three processing facilities in Milwaukee, Green Bay and St. Paul, Minnesota.
Importance of Postmarks
Postmarks are used in several governmental processes to determine if an item was sent on time, such as tax filings and absentee voting. Under the new rule, postmarks no longer indicate the first day the mail was received, only that USPS is in possession of it.
Requesting a Postmark on Your Mail
Customers can request a manual postmark at a local retail location. If you need a record of when USPS accepted your mail, you can purchase a certificate of mailing.
Impact on Absentee Ballots
Due to issues like staffing shortages and severe weather causing mail delays, it’s recommended to mail an absentee ballot at least seven days before Election Day.
In Wisconsin, ballots must be received by the municipal clerk’s office by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Other states accept late absentee ballots postmarked before Election Day: these include Alaska, California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.
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