Each election cycle presents new parameters for ballot creation, causing return mailpieces to be different sizes and weights. As a result, many voters do not know the correct amount of postage required to return their ballots by mail.
Balloting materials provided to voters for any election, whether disseminated in hardcopy or electronically, must indicate in a prominent location the proper amount of First-Class Mail® postage that must be applied on return mailings, except in certain circumstances for balloting materials for military and overseas voters or where postage is prepaid. This information must be included in the balloting materials (i.e., on the ballot, ballot instructions, mailing instructions, or on the envelope) with the marking “First–Class Mail postage must be applied.” Alternatively, the marking “Apply First-Class Mail postage here” could be printed in the upper-right corner of the address side of the envelope used by the voter to return the marked ballot to election officials. The Postal Service™ will also accept approved variations of these indicia.
The marking requirements will not apply to balloting materials that meet one of the following exceptions:
For some of these exceptions, such as BRM, return postage and Permit Reply Mail, the mailpiece will bear the indicia “NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES” in the upper right-hand corner where postage is typically applied.
Election officials should consult with Postal Service officials to assist with mailpiece design and barcode placement as well as to determine the proper amount of postage required for mailing ballots to voters and the return of marked ballots to election officials. For more information, please see the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) 703.8.0 available on Postal Explorer at https://pe.usps.com.
