{"id":40146,"date":"2026-09-10T10:55:33","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T15:55:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/?p=40146"},"modified":"2026-09-10T10:55:33","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T15:55:33","slug":"usps-ballot-mail-rule-overview-and-potential-impact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/2026\/09\/10\/usps-ballot-mail-rule-overview-and-potential-impact\/","title":{"rendered":"USPS Ballot Mail Rule: Overview and Potential Impact"},"content":{"rendered":"

8\/28\/26 – On March 31, 2026, President Donald Trump issued Executive Order\u00a0<\/span>(EO)\u00a0<\/span>14399<\/span><\/a>, “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections.” The order states “unique ballot envelope identifiers, such as bar codes, enable confirmation that only citizens receive and cast ballots, reducing the risk of fraud and protecting the integrity of Federal elections.” In addition to provisions for other agencies, the order directs the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to issue regulations establishing uniform standards for mail-in or absentee ballots for federal elections. These standards include many of the election mail guidelines that USPS has recommended but has not required.<\/p>\n

On August 26, 2026, USPS issued a\u00a0final rule<\/span><\/a>, “Ballot Mail for Federal Elections,” effective\u00a0August 21, 2026<\/span><\/a>. The rule adds a new section to USPS’s\u00a0Domestic Mail Manual<\/span><\/em><\/a>\u00a0(DMM) and includes many of the standards and procedural changes addressed in the EO. Under the\u00a0rule<\/span><\/a>, outbound federal ballot mailings that do not\u00a0comply<\/span><\/a>\u00a0with the rule’s\u00a0design standards<\/span><\/a>\u00a0or that are addressed to individuals not on the state’s\u00a0mail-in and absentee<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>participation list<\/span><\/a>, as submitted to USPS, “will not be accepted” for delivery by USPS.<\/p>\n

USPS notes<\/span><\/a>\u00a0in publishing this final rule that two injunctions were in place prohibiting it from fully implementing the EO and that while the rule is final and in effect, it “will not take actions to implement the rule specifically for the 2026 election unless and until the government obtains relief from those injunctions.” On August 24, 2026, one injunction was\u00a0stayed by the Supreme Court<\/span><\/a>, and on August 26, 2026, the other was\u00a0vacated by the U.S. District Court\u00a0<\/span>for the District\u00a0<\/span>of Massachusetts<\/span><\/a>. The rule remains the subject of ongoing litigation, and on August 27, 2026, the same district court issued a\u00a014-day restraining order<\/span><\/a>\u00a0prohibiting USPS from implementing most sections of the rule, including the mandatory design standards and provisions that instruct USPS to refuse noncompliant outbound federal ballots.<\/p>\n

USPS Ballot Mail Guidelines<\/strong><\/p>\n

Prior to issuing the ballot mail rule, USPS has issued guidance addressing ballot-mail-specific issues, provided certain election-specific procedures and products, and encouraged election officials to follow its recommended practices related to ballot mail. However, adoption of these practices by election officials has not been required for USPS to deliver ballots to voters. These guidelines remain recommended practices for the categories of ballot mail that are outside the scope of the new rule (e.g.,\u00a0primar<\/span>y elections<\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n

In each federal election cycle, including 2026-2027, USPS has issued its\u00a0Official Election Mail Kit<\/span><\/a>\u00a0for election officials. The kit includes a\u00a0user’s guide<\/span><\/a>, intended for the state and local election officials who are responsible for sending ballot mail to voters. The user’s guide provides recommendations for mailpiece design, including Intelligent Mail barcodes (IMbs<\/span><\/a>) and Ballot Mail Service Type ID codes (STIDs<\/span><\/a>) to sort and track ballot mail. The kit also includes USPS’s\u00a0postmarking<\/span><\/a>\u00a0policies and procedures for overseas and\u00a0military absentee ballots<\/span><\/a>. USPS also publishes an\u00a0Official Election Mail Guide<\/span><\/a>\u00a0with USPS-licensed election mail logos and recommended ballot envelope design.<\/p>\n

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While use of official mail logos and IMbs was not previously required, USPS recommended both. USPS also recommends that election officials use a\u00a0green ballot tag<\/span><\/a>\u00a0to help USPS identify trays and sacks that contain outbound ballot mail. These actions are intended to improve visibility of all ballot mail, including state, local, and federal ballot mail, as it travels through the mail processing network.<\/p>\n

USPS also provides guidance to customers on how to\u00a0request and\/or return<\/span><\/a>\u00a0an absentee ballot. For example, USPS recommends that domestic, nonmilitary voters allow at least one week for completed mail-in ballots to be processed by USPS and delivered to the election office and that voters apply the appropriate amount of postage to their return envelopes, if postage is not\u00a0prepaid<\/span><\/a>. USPS also provides recommendations for the processing of outbound\u00a0military and overseas absentee ballots<\/span><\/a>, which are exempt from the new rule.<\/p>\n

New USPS Ballot Mail Rule<\/strong><\/p>\n

The ballot rule adds a new section to DMM\u00a0Chapter 705<\/span><\/a>, “Advanced Preparation and Special Postage Payment Systems,” that includes<\/p>\n