Voters urged to use ballot drop boxes as mail postmark delays put ballots at risk

||| FROM KATHERINE BRYANT INGMAN CAMPAIGN FOR SJC COUNCIL |||

With the August 4th primary just days away, Katherine Bryant Ingman’s campaign is urging San Juan County voters who haven’t yet returned their ballots to use an official ballot drop box rather than the mail.

Recent changes in how USPS processes mail mean postmark dates are no longer reliably tied to when a ballot is dropped off. Under a new rule that took effect on December 24, 2025, postmarks may reflect the date a piece of mail is first processed at a regional facility not when you drop it into a mailbox. For island communities, where mail must travel off island before it’s processed, this is critically important.

According to the Washington Secretary of State’s Office, nearly 15,000 ballots were rejected statewide last November due to late postmarks. This is a sharp increase from about 4,600 ballots rejected in the 2024 presidential election. Election officials across the state have urged voters to use drop boxes rather than the mail in the final days before an election.

Washington law requires ballots to be postmarked, or deposited in an official drop box, by Election Day to be counted.

“Every vote matters in this race, and no one should lose theirs to a mail delay they had no way of knowing about. If you haven’t returned your ballot yet, please use a drop box. It’;s the surest way to make sure your voice is heard,” said Katherine Bryant Ingman.

San Juan County residents can find official ballot drop box locations here. Drop boxes are open unitl 8:00 PM on Election Day, August 4th.