Ballots in Washington and Oregon are being rejected at higher rates due to late postmarks, according to newly released data, after changes to U.S. Postal Service operations. The reports say the number of ballots discounted for late postmarks has surged in the lead-up to this fall’s midterm election.
The outlets describe the increase as a response to postal handling rules that affect how election mail is counted, particularly when ballots are mailed close to deadlines. While the articles agree on the rise in discounted ballots, they differ mainly in emphasis: some focus on the figures and the geographical spike in those two states, while others foreground concerns about how Postal Service adjustments may be influencing outcomes.
Overall, the coverage points to the same issue—more ballots are not being accepted because of postmark timing—and frames it in the context of broader scrutiny of postal procedures ahead of the midterms. The data cited is presented as newly available, with implications for how vote-by-mail deadlines and mail processing timing are interpreted.
