Kit 600
February 2026
The Postal Service is pleased to present the 2026-2027 Official Election Mail Guide (Kit 600). The kit is a comprehensive resource designed specifically for Election Officials that choose to utilize the U.S. Mail™ as a secure, efficient, and effective part of their election systems.
The Postal Service has a long and proud history of supporting our country’s electoral system and we take seriously our clear and defined role to process, transport, and deliver the nation’s Election Mail, including ballots. We continually reassess our capabilities to improve the operational effectiveness of our service.
In preparation for the upcoming election season, the Postal Service made several enhancements to increase the visibility of ballots traveling through the mail stream. These efforts included issuing a newly developed bilingual green Tag 191, Domestic and International Ballots, implementing an official ballot checkbox, expanding the Service Type IDentifier (STID) Tool for both Ballot Mail and Election Mail, and clarifying the use of the Official Election Mail logo. You will learn more about these enhancements by reviewing the materials included in this kit. For additional support, contact the Postal Service’s Mailpiece Design Analysts and local Managers, Customer Relations using the forms found at https://about.usps.com/what/government-services/election-mail/#contact. Please take advantage of these dedicated experts.
While not specific to Election Mail, the Postal Service has some further updates that may be relevant to our customers who send or receive Election Mail. The Postal Service refined our service standards to align with operational initiatives needed to improve operational efficiency and precision. We also formally defined the postmark in our regulations, described how and where in the course of postal operations postmarks are applied, clarified the scope of the information that postmarks convey, and advised customers to request a manual (local) postmark at a retail location if they want to ensure that their mailpiece receives a postmark containing a date that aligns with the date of mailing. This kit provides additional details on postmarking, but we emphasize that we have not changed our procedures regarding how or to the extent in which we postmark mailpieces.
Our simple message to voters is to plan and mail early. Also, if a customer wants to ensure that their return Ballot Mail envelope or any other mailpiece receives a postmark, and that the date on the postmark matches the day it is mailed, the customer should bring their mailpiece to a retail location and request a manual postmark in person; it will be applied free of charge upon acceptance of the mailpiece.
The Postal Service provides many common-sense mailing recommendations to help voters and election officials use the mail successfully when policymakers choose to use the mail as part of their election systems. We recommend that both voters and election officials follow any guidance provided by their state, consider the time required for each leg of mail delivery, and keep in mind any applicable Postal Service mailing recommendations. Sharing the Postal Service’s mailing recommendations with your voters can better help them decide which method of participation in the electoral process is right for them..
Index:
Included in your 2026 - 2027 (Kit 600) are the following fact sheets and publications
B
Ballot Mail Mailing Standards — Includes many of the Postal Service’s regulations about balloting materials. Page 23
E
Election Mail Checkboxes — Use the Election Mail Checkboxes in the PostalOne!® processing system to ensure USPS® visibility of all Election Mail entered into the mailstream. Page 25
Election Mail Key Recommendations — Outline of the Postal Service’s key recommendations that should be considered to help ensure you have the tools you need to successfully use the mail. Page 4
Election Mail Resources for Election Officials — Overview of the many resources available to election officials to effectively use the mail. Page 6
*New* Election Mail Security — An overview for the election community on how the U.S. Postal Inspection Service secures Election Mail. Page 28
IInformed Delivery — Discover the benefits associated with creating an Informed Delivery campaign in your electoral jurisdiction. Page 21
Informed Visibility® Mail Tracking and Reporting — Learn about near-real-time mail tracking data service for letters and flat pieces, bundles, handling units (trays, tubs, and sacks), and containers. Page 13
N
Next Steps — Ready to get started? Follow a few simple steps for expert advice on how to create, handle, and send Election Mail. Page 29
P
*New* Postmarks and Postal Possession — Defines postmarks, identifies types of Postal Service markings that qualify as postmarks, describes the circumstances under which those markings are applied, and advises customers of how to obtain evidence of the date on which the Postal Service accepted possession of their mailings. Page 27
Publication 631, Official Election Mail—Graphic Guidelines and Logos — Learn proper usage of the Official Election Mail logo for inclusion on mailpieces.Publication 632, State and Local Election Mail—User’s Guide — Contains information that election officials must consider before mailing Election Mail.
Q
Qualified Business Reply Mail with Intelligent Mail barcode Accounting — Description of the First-Class Mail® service and a step-by-step guide to completing an application to use the mailing solution. Page 17
R
Recommendations on Mailing Completed Ballots — An explanation of the Postal Service’s policy concerning the postmarking of Ballot Mail envelopes returned by voters. Page 26
S
Service Type IDentifiers for Ballot Mail — Understand how the three-digit code is improving the identification and tracking of Ballot Mail. Page 10
Special Procedures: APO/FPO/DPO and Overseas Citizens Absentee Ballots — Tips to ensure Ballot Mail reaches military personnel and citizens who are overseas. Page 19
Steps to Creating Your Intelligent Mail Barcode — Learn how to create your own serialized IMb to track Election Mail while in the mailstream and more. Page 8
T
Tag 191, Domestic and International Ballots — Information and guidelines to help your Ballot Mail get higher visibility upon entry. Page 17
