By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
This year, a final rule from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) went into effect, defining postmarks as being applied when a mailpiece is processed. While the agency said this definition has been consistent for decades now, recent changes to transportation operations may mean mail is processed later than it’s collected, raising concerns about time-sensitive documents such as tax returns, bills, court filings and mail-in-ballots.
Across the country, households have historically relied on postmarks as proof of meeting a deadline for important documents—a use the USPS said has never been an official service of the agency. A discrepancy between the date a mailpiece is collected and the date it’s processed—or postmarked—could lead to penalties for households.
“Many of the families we serve rely heavily on mail for time-sensitive matters such as benefit applications, bill payments, tax filings and official correspondence,” said Tershea Rice, president of the Greater Baltimore Urban League (GBUL). “When postmarks don’t reflect the date a piece of mail is collected or dropped off, it creates additional risk for households that may already face barriers such as limited transportation, inflexible work schedules, reduced access to digital alternatives or reliance on community mail collection points.”
A nonpartisan civil rights and social services nonprofit, GBUL primarily serves underserved communities, supporting them in gaining access to employment, education, health care, housing and other social services.
Rice emphasized that operational shifts in essential public systems often have disproportionate impacts on communities already navigating systemic barriers.
“There is consistent data showing that when changes occur in systems or processes that affect how services flow, the populations most impacted are often those already facing structural disadvantages, In this case, Black and elderly communities are likely to be hit hardest,” said Rice. “These communities are more likely to rely on physical mail for critical, time-sensitive matters and often have fewer buffers to absorb the consequences of delays, such as late fees, penalties or missed deadlines.”
Martha Johnson, senior public relations representative for USPS, underscored that no changes are being made to the postmark process. She explained that the adjustments to the agency’s transportation operations were a part of Regional Transportation Optimization (RTO), an initiative to better coordinate mail transportation between post offices and processing centers to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
Johnson also outlined how customers can ensure their mail receives a postmark on the day it’s collected.
“Virtually all letters or flats sent by individuals using stamps, such as cards, letters and tax returns, receive a postmark,” said Johnson. “If a customer wants to ensure that a mailpiece receives a postmark and that the postmark aligns with the date of mailing, the customer may take the mailpiece to a post office, station or branch and request a manual, local postmark at the retail counter when tendering their mailpiece.”
With midterm elections set for the fall, the reliability of postmarks has come into focus. A number of states allow mailed ballots to be counted even if they arrive after Election Day as long as they’re postmarked on or before that day. A delayed postmark could lead to a ballot being rejected even if it was mailed on time.
USPS policy treats all completed ballots as First-Class Mail, whether postage is prepaid by elections officials or added by the voter. The only exception is if a voter chooses a faster service, like Priority Mail. The agency recommends that voters mail their ballots at least one week prior to their state’s deadline.
Sophia Lin Lakin, director of the ACLU voting rights project, stressed that keeping this policy in place is critical for protecting voters.
“It is always recommended that voters submit their mail ballots as early as possible,” said Lakin. “While the USPS has suggested that voters may request a manual postmark at a retail post office or purchase a Certificate of Mailing to conclusively prove the date they tendered their ballots, the best step voters can take is to mail their ballot well in advance of Election Day.”
