Mail might not be postmarked until days after you send it, under new rules that could cause tax penalties, result in ballots not counted

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By Miriam Raftery

December 30, 2025 (Washington D.C.) – Don’t wait until the last minute to mail in a ballot, tax return or other important documents. A change in U.S. Postal Service regulations that took effect December 24 means that mail is no longer considered postmarked on the date that you drop it in a mailbox or at a post office counter. Instead, it won’t be postmarked until it’s processed by an automated USPS sorting machine, which could mean delays of several days.

Postmarks have long been the legal standard of proof to show when something was mailed, such as rental payments, filing of legal documents, tax returns, year-end charitable donations, and mail-in ballots.

So how can you be sure that important mailing deadlines are met? Here are some options:

  • Go into a post office and ask for a manual, hand-stamped postmark.
  • Send documents via certified mail.
  • If you can’t go to a post office, send mail at least a week before the deadline.
  • For ballots, drop off at a designated drop box, such as those at many libraries, or in California, deliver it a polling place or your local registrar of voters.

The Postal Service is also raising some prices effective January 18, 2026.  Though the price of a first-class stamp will remain at 78 cents for the first ounce and 29 cents for each additional ounce, some shipping rates will increase. 

Priority Mail pricing will rise by 6.6%, Priority Mail Express will increase 5.1%, USPS Ground Advantage will go up by 7.8%, and Parcel Select costs will be 6% higher.


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Comments

The U.S. Post Office is...

Submitted by on

Continuing to experience financial trouble. I have a small post office box, and every year the rate increases quite a lot, which is very irritating because this is what I consider a safe place to receive critical mail. Not at the apartment building where I live because the mail boxes are old and can literally be popped open with nearly any device / tool. The price we pay for a post office box varies from one area to another based on supply and demand. They should have a universal cost to spread the price across the entire system so that everyone pays the same rate, which would probably be much less all around. Instead, some box holders are being gouged, while others pay far less.

it is kind of sad

Submitted by on

that the post office said the new rule took effect December 24 when in fact this has been the rule for about 5 years. (don't ask how I know, I am not permitted to say). the reason for this change is because the post used to work most mail in the evening hours and a greater expense, so they changed the workers to the day shift, meaning the mail waits around to the next day. this is why there is no longer overnight service anymore, (unless you pay for priority express). don't believe it, mail a letter to yourself and see how long it takes.