SEATTLE, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – State leaders are warning that recent changes by the U.S. Postal Service are making it harder to get every ballot counted this election season.
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell and Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs held a press conference on Wednesday, Sept. 3, noting an increase in late-postmark ballot rejections in the August primary.
They say USPS is now requiring ballots to be postmarked at regional mail centers instead of local post offices, which can greatly delay processing times.
Cantwell says there are two important steps residents can take to make sure their vote counts ahead of November’s general election.
“Please drop your ballot in a ballot box provided by the local county, if possible. That is the key message number one,” Cantwell said at the press conference. “And secondly, if you can’t do that and you’re in a rural community, mail your ballot as soon as you get it.”
According to data from the Secretary of State’s office and compiled by Cantwell’s office, Whatcom County saw 40% more rejections due to a late postmark in this year’s primary election than in 2024.
The change was even more pronounced in other areas, as the rate of too-late ballots more than doubled in 19 counties including Skagit and San Juan counties.
Drop boxes are still the dominant method of ballot returns in Whatcom County, with over 75% of voters doing so in the August primary.
