Election Mail is any item mailed to or from authorized election officials that enables citizens to participate in the voting process, such as ballots, sample ballots, voter registration cards, absentee voting applications, and polling place notifications.
Ballot Mail is a subset of Election Mail. It consists of any mailpiece sent to or from an authorized election official containing a live ballot that may be used to cast a vote in an election. Ballot Mail sent to a voter is often referred to as “outbound” Ballot Mail, whereas Ballot Mail sent from a voter is called “return” or “inbound” Ballot Mail.
Political Mail is any material mailed for campaign purposes by a registered political candidate, campaign committee, or committee of a political party, as well as any material mailed by a political action committee or organization engaging in issues advocacy or voter mobilization.
The Postal Service 2026 Election and Political Mail Plan coordinates strategy with key organizational priorities. The plan objectives are to:
n Educate and inform the public on proper mail handling, key dates, and operational guidelines for Election Mail and Political Mail.
n Reinforce the message that the Postal Service is deeply committed to its job of delivering Election Mail, especially Ballot Mail.
n Ensure the correct use of the Official Election Mail logo. It may be used on all Election Mail, including Ballot Mail created for federal, state, and local government elections.
n Inform election officials that Ballot Mail will be handled correctly. Educate the officials on what to expect when using the mail so they can ensure ballots are mailed and returned by their state’s deadline.
n Remind election officials and their mail service providers (MSPs) of the importance of using Service Type IDentifiers (STIDs), especially for Ballot Mail, to improve mailpiece visibility within the automation environment.
n Ensure Postal Service employees know that they must always promptly and efficiently handle Election Mail with equal care and attention.
n Ensure the correct use of Tag 191, Domestic and International Ballots. Postal Service employees must correctly identify and promptly process this mail. Tag 191 may not be used for sample ballots.
n Ensure the correct use of Tag 57, Political Campaign Mailing. Political Message Mail (mailings from certain groups, including issue advocacy or voter mobilization) and Political Campaign Mail (mailings from certain groups or individuals related to a candidate, campaign, or referendum) may both use Tag 57.
Throughout the 2026 election cycle, it’s important to keep the following in mind:
n The Postal Service is committed to fulfilling its role in the electoral process when policymakers choose to use the mail as part of their election systems or when voters choose to use our services to participate in an election. The Postal Service ensures the dependable and timely delivery of Election Mail.
n The Postal Service takes pride in the U.S. Mail® as a secure, efficient, and effective means for citizens to participate in the electoral process.
n Voters can trust the Postal Service to deliver Ballot Mail in a timely manner.
n The Postal Service offers a state-by-state outreach program to ensure election boards, political candidates, and mailers are aware of the appropriate procedures and important deadlines to help ensure the proper processing and delivery of Election Mail and Political Mail.
n In addition to any state or local rules, requirements, and recommendations, the Postal Service recommends that election offices consider providing applicable Postal Service mailing recommendations in their voter communications to ensure that individuals who wish to use the mail to vote know how to do so successfully. See “Key Voter Messages” below.
n A well-designed mailpiece can support timely delivery and ensure compatibility with the Postal Service’s mail processing equipment and operational capabilities Thus, we strongly recommend that election offices work with a mailpiece design analyst (MDA) before designing and printing any mailpieces for use in their election system. Customers can receive assistance from an MDA by submitting a design review request at electionmail.usps.com/s/election-mail-review.
n The Postal Service has a variety of ways to enhance the visibility of Election Mail (especially Ballot Mail) and Political Mail. These recommendations include physical indicators such as red and green tags and the Official Election Mail logo as well as digital indicators that communicate with our processing system like barcodes, checkboxes, and dedicated Service Type IDentifiers (STIDs).
n All U.S. Mail is protected by more than 200 federal laws enforced by the United States Postal Inspection Service® (USPIS®), the Postal Service’s law enforcement arm. The Postal Service employs a robust and proven process to ensure the proper acceptance, processing, and delivery of Election Mail.
n The USPIS monitors Election Mail as it moves through the postal network to prevent, identify and resolve any issues that might interfere with its secure and timely delivery.
n The U.S. Mail remains a secure, efficient, and effective means for citizens when policymakers choose to use the mail as part of their elections systems or when voters choose to use our services to participate in an election.
Individuals who opt to vote by mail must understand their local jurisdiction’s rules and requirements for participating in an election, including rules and deadlines concerning the timely submission of ballots. Voters can contact their local election office for questions about processes and policies specific to their state. Voters can find their state and local election offices here: usa.gov/state-election-office.
The Postal Service’s mailing recommendations for voters include the following:
n In jurisdictions that require eligible voters to request a ballot in order to receive one through the mail, we recommend that domestic, non-military voters request their ballot as early as their jurisdiction allows. Not all jurisdictions require eligible voters to request a ballot in order to receive one; check your local and state voting requirements.
n For domestic, non-military voters who choose to use the mail to return their completed ballot, the general recommendation of the Postal Service is that they mail their completed ballot before Election Day, and at least 1 week before the deadline by which their completed ballot must be received by the election office. Some states may recommend allowing even more time for mailing completed ballots. In addition, some states require all ballots (including mail-in ballots) to be received by the election office by a specified deadline, while other states may accept ballots received after that deadline as timely if they were mailed and postmarked by a specific date.
n Voters must keep in mind the time required for both legs of mail delivery — to the voter and back to election office — when deciding how to participate in an election.
n Each state establishes by law the rules and requirements for ballot submission, including submission deadlines and the role, if any, that postmarks play in determining whether a ballot was timely.
n The Postal Service does not postmark or “cancel” every piece of mail in the system. The primary purpose of cancellation is to ensure that postage cannot be reused, and some categories of postage are pre-canceled before they enter the mailstream.
n However, the Postal Service tries to ensure that every piece of Ballot Mail returned by voters receives a postmark, regardless of whether it is mailed with postage pre-paid by election officials or with a stamp affixed by the voter.
n While we instruct our employees throughout the country on this practice, we acknowledge that there will always be rare occurrences where a mailpiece does not receive a legible postmark. Election officials are advised that the use of automation-compatible, letter-sized envelopes increases the likelihood that a mailpiece will receive a legible postmark.
n Also, while our postmarking practices have not changed, we have made adjustments to our transportation operations that will result in some mailpieces not arriving at our originating processing facilities on the same day that they are mailed. Because postmarks are generally applied at those processing facilities, this means that the date on the postmarks applied at those facilities may not necessarily match the date of mailing.
n A voter can ensure that a postmark is applied to his or her return Ballot Mail envelope, and that the date on the postmark matches the date of mailing, by visiting a Postal Service retail location and requesting a manual postmark at the retail counter when dropping off the ballot for mailing. When asked, the retail associate will apply a manual postmark free of charge upon accepting custody of the mailpiece.
n As of December 2025, the Postal Service added a new section, 608.11, to the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) that formally defines the postmark, its intended use, and the circumstances in which it is applied. For further postmarking guidance and understanding, review the fact sheet included in this kit on DMM 608.11, which is included in Kit 600 at about.usps.com/kits/kit600/welcome.htm, or see DMM 608.11: Postmarks and Postal Possession, on Postal Explorer® at pe.usps.gov/text/dmm300/608.htm.
