Postal Reforms Linked to Spike in Rejected Ballots Across Washington, Oregon
Thousands of mail-in ballots in Washington and Oregon were rejected for late postmarks following USPS consolidation, raising concerns ahead of the midterms.
Newly released data from Washington and Oregon reveals a sharp increase in mail-in ballots being rejected for late postmarks, intensifying concerns about recent operational changes at the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) ahead of the pivotal midterm elections.
The USPS has been consolidating its network, focusing on regional processing hubs to cut costs. Critics, including several senators and election officials, had warned these changes could delay the postmarking of ballots, even those mailed before Election Day, effectively disenfranchising voters. The latest primary election data appears to confirm those fears.
Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read reported that 7,314 ballots arriving during the state's grace period in May were not counted due to late postmarks, a rejection rate of 13%, up from 9.5% in the previous election. "More Oregonians had their voices go unheard just because their ballots couldn’t make it through the mail in time," Read stated, calling the situation unacceptable. He is seeking emergency funding for 20 new ballot drop boxes in underserved areas.
Washington state saw a similar trend, with 20,267 ballots rejected for late postmarks in the recent primary, up from 16,131 in 2024. The issue is most acute in rural counties, where distances to drop boxes are greater. In Stevens County, the rejection rate for mailed ballots quadrupled. County Auditor Lori Larsen described receiving 547 ballots with late postmarks three days after the primary, a volume she initially attributed to wildfire disruptions before checking the ZIP codes.
In Yakima County, where nearly 4.4% of ballots were rejected, mail is now routed to a processing center 200 miles away in Spokane before being returned. County Auditor Charles Ross noted the disparity this creates, suggesting a ballot mailed in a rural area is treated differently than one from a major city.
The USPS acknowledged that changes to mail transport could delay postmarking, advising voters to mail ballots at least a week early or request manual postmarks at a post office. The issue has drawn political attention, with Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington pointing out the irony that the changes may disenfranchise voters in areas that strongly supported former President Donald Trump. The administration has also recently asked the Supreme Court to allow an executive order that would impose new restrictions on mail-in voting.