U.S. Postal Service Changes Could Cause Mail Postmark Delays
If you're planning to mail in your tax returns or vote by mail this year, be aware that changes at the U.S. Postal Service could cause delays in getting a postmark on your mail.
The Postal Service is adjusting its transportation operations as part of its 10-year strategic plan, Delivering for America, which aims to boost efficiency and reduce costs. As a result, some mail may not receive a postmark the day it's dropped off, but instead might be delayed by up to a day as it travels to local processing facilities.
This change could have significant consequences, especially around tax season and elections. For instance, in Illinois, taxpayers can start filing their returns on January 26th, with a deadline of April 15th, while voters can begin submitting ballots on February 5th for the upcoming primary elections.
However, some people still mail time-sensitive documents through the Postal Service, and these delays could have legal implications. According to data from the University of Florida's Election Lab, over 832,000 votes in Illinois were cast by mail during the 2024 General Election, which is a significant number considering that more than 93% of individual tax returns were filed electronically last year.
The Postal Service argues that its postmark isn't intended to serve as proof of when mail is sent. However, this may not be sufficient for consumers who are relying on timely delivery of their mail. To mitigate the risk, customers can request a free manual postmark at the retail counter or send their item via certified mail with a return receipt.
In any case, sending time-sensitive documents several days ahead of their due date is still considered the best practice to avoid any potential issues. Meanwhile, shipping prices are also expected to increase starting Sunday, with hikes ranging from 5.1% for priority mail express to 7.8% for USPS ground advantage.
If you're planning to mail in your tax returns or vote by mail this year, be aware that changes at the U.S. Postal Service could cause delays in getting a postmark on your mail.
The Postal Service is adjusting its transportation operations as part of its 10-year strategic plan, Delivering for America, which aims to boost efficiency and reduce costs. As a result, some mail may not receive a postmark the day it's dropped off, but instead might be delayed by up to a day as it travels to local processing facilities.
This change could have significant consequences, especially around tax season and elections. For instance, in Illinois, taxpayers can start filing their returns on January 26th, with a deadline of April 15th, while voters can begin submitting ballots on February 5th for the upcoming primary elections.
However, some people still mail time-sensitive documents through the Postal Service, and these delays could have legal implications. According to data from the University of Florida's Election Lab, over 832,000 votes in Illinois were cast by mail during the 2024 General Election, which is a significant number considering that more than 93% of individual tax returns were filed electronically last year.
The Postal Service argues that its postmark isn't intended to serve as proof of when mail is sent. However, this may not be sufficient for consumers who are relying on timely delivery of their mail. To mitigate the risk, customers can request a free manual postmark at the retail counter or send their item via certified mail with a return receipt.
In any case, sending time-sensitive documents several days ahead of their due date is still considered the best practice to avoid any potential issues. Meanwhile, shipping prices are also expected to increase starting Sunday, with hikes ranging from 5.1% for priority mail express to 7.8% for USPS ground advantage.
. I mean, tax returns and voting by mail are pretty important stuff. Can't imagine having my return rejected or someone not counting my vote because of some postal mix-up 
. Guess we gotta be extra careful with our timing this year... might as well send those documents a few days early just to be safe 
. And, ugh, price hikes? Not exactly what I need on top of everything else 
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! If you're planning to mail in your tax returns or vote by mail, it's super important to plan ahead and send those documents a few days earlier than the deadline. The delayed postmark could be a major issue, especially since some states are still using paper ballots 
On a more positive note, I'm hoping they'll increase security measures to prevent any potential issues with mail tampering or identity theft 
!
Can you believe this?! 
I mean, what even is the point of having a postmark if it's not reliable? 
And with elections coming up, this could be a total disaster for people trying to cast their ballots. 
We need some real action from our leaders to address these issues before it's too late! 
so, apparently, the Postal Service is trying to cut costs by adjusting their transportation ops, which sounds legit but it's also gonna cause delays in getting a postmark. Like, if you're mailing in your taxes or voting by mail, that extra day can be super annoying. And yeah, I know some people still use USPS for time-sensitive docs, so this could have some serious consequences... 
also, don't even get me started on the price hikes, 5.1% to 7.8% is not what you want to hear when you're already stressed about tax season or elections... 
. Like, I get that efficiency is important but can't we just stick with the status quo for once? 
. and now they're making us pay more for shipping too, 5.1% is like, so much 
It's like sending a message in a bottle – who needs a postmark anyway? The USPS is just trying to cut costs and streamline their operations. And honestly, it's about time they did. All those fancy-pants email services have been doing everyone's work for years... 
. The Postal Service needs to find a better way to streamline things without messing up the whole system 
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It just doesn't seem right to me... I'm not saying the Postal Service isn't trying to make things more efficient, but what about all the people who are counting on timely delivery? 