N.Y. elections officials urge early return of primary election mail, absentee ballots due to USPS change
The New York state Board of Elections wants voters to return early mail and absentee ballots in the June primary elections as soon as they can as a result of changes to U.S. Postal Service postmark procedures, officials said Tuesday.
The new policy means a postmark reflects the date a piece of mail is processed at a postal facility rather than the date it was deposited in the mail.
Consequently, mail placed in a mailbox on a particular day may not receive a postmark until a later date. Since state election law allows ballots to be postmarked up through Election Day, a delay in a postmark could mean it not being counted. The state is encouraging voters to mail their ballots well before the deadline or return ballots directly to a poll site or their county board of elections.
“While these postal changes do not alter New York's election laws, they underscore the importance of voters making a plan to return their ballot,” said Kristen Zebrowski Stavisky, co-executive director of the state Board of Elections. “The most effective step voters can take is to return their ballot early. Doing so helps ensure their vote reaches election officials in a timely manner and eliminates uncertainty related to mail processing.
https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2026/06/09/n-y--urges-early-return-of-primary-mail--absentee-ballots-due-to-usps-change