EAC training urges election offices to use official election‑mail logo, coordinate with USPS and adopt barcode tracking

A presenter for the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) outlined steps election offices should take to design, send and process official election mail, urging officials to coordinate early with the U.S. Postal Service and use the official election‑mail logo to help postal workers and voters recognize official materials.

The presenter defined election mail as “any item mailed to or from authorized election officials that help citizens participate in the voting process,” explicitly listing ballots, applications and voter‑registration confirmations. The training emphasized that election mail is distinct from political mail produced by campaigns or parties and that only election officials may use the election‑mail logo.

Why it matters: Election mail includes ballots and other transactional communications whose timely delivery and clear identification can affect voters’ ability to participate. The training focused on practical steps election offices can take to reduce delivery problems and increase voter confidence.

The presenter recommended building relationships with local USPS contacts — including the postmaster and the regional manager of customer relations — and, for jurisdictions that send bulk mail, with staff at the regional processing center. Officials should provide those postal contacts with expected mailing dates, approximate volumes and examples of outbound and return pieces, and consider scheduled check‑ins before election periods.

On design and technical checks, the training advised election offices to use Postal Service Publication 631 for graphic and logo guidance and to consult a Postal Service mail piece design analyst (contact listed in the training as mda@usps.gov) to identify any potential automation or readability issues. The presenter recommended making this check annually, even if a design has been used previously.

The video promoted the use of Intelligent Mail barcodes so individual pieces can be scanned throughout the postal network. “These scans can then be used to track each piece of mail,” the presenter said, noting that barcode scans can help identify delivery problems and reassure voters. The presenter also noted that third‑party vendors can assist election offices in creating and applying the barcodes.

For physical handling, the training instructed jurisdictions to mark ballot sacks or trays with the green Tag 191 to increase visibility to postal workers and clarified that Tag 191 is designated for ballots only; other kinds of election mail should not use the tag. The presenter pointed viewers to usps.com/electionmail as a resource for ordering tags and other guidance.

Voter communications were also emphasized: election offices should clearly inform voters about request procedures, how to mark and return ballots, and whether ballots must be received or only postmarked to count. The Postal Service’s general recommendation — reiterated in the training — is that voters mail ballots at least one week before the return deadline to help ensure on‑time delivery, and offices should highlight non‑postal return options as election day approaches.

On safety, the presenter said it is unlikely officials will encounter hazardous mail but advised having procedures and basic protective equipment in place. Recommended practices included processing inbound election mail in an isolated space with direct access to the outside, keeping PPE (aprons, masks, nitrile gloves) available and stocking naloxone (Narcan) in the office first‑aid kit. The presenter directed officials to the Postal Inspection Service guide to mail center security for further details.

The training closed by pointing viewers to additional materials on the EAC resource page, the Postal Service election mail page and the Postal Inspection Service election mail page for templates, checklists and further technical guidance.