Official Ballot Box at Burien Town Square Park 480 SW 152nd St. Burien, Washington. (Credit The Highline Journal).
With Election Day on Tuesday, November 4, both state and postal officials are warning voters not to rely on mailing ballots at the last minute. Washington law allows ballots to be counted if they are postmarked by Election Day, but the U.S. Postal Service says it cannot guarantee a same-day postmark for ballots dropped in neighborhood mailboxes this close to the deadline.
USPS guidance recommends mailing ballots at least one week before November 4 to ensure timely processing. If a ballot is collected or processed on November 5, it will receive a late postmark and will not count, even if the voter mailed it on time.
Because postmarks are not guaranteed, USPS and state officials recommend that voters use an official ballot drop box. Ballots placed in drop boxes are accepted until 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 4.
For voters who still wish to return their ballot using USPS, the Postal Service says they may take their completed ballot directly to a local post office and request that staff hand-stamp the postmark while they are present. This avoids the risk of delayed processing.
