League of Women Voters warns USPS postmarking change could disenfranchise mail-in voters in New York City primary

The League of Women Voters of the City of New York told Bronxet’s Open that a U.S. Postal Service procedural change could make it harder for New York City residents to use mail-in ballots in the June 23, 2026 primary.

“Postmarking is the way that the boards of elections of every state in this country keep track of deadlines,” Diane Burroughs, chair of the League’s Speakers Bureau, said on the program. She said the Postal Service began sending mail from post offices to regional processing centers for postmarking on Dec. 24, a change that can delay the date a piece of mail is stamped and recorded.

Burroughs said those delays mean voters should assume mailing deadlines are effectively 7–10 days earlier than the formal deadline. “If something has to be postmarked by election day … and it is postmarked later than that, that voter is disenfranchised,” she said.

Isabelle Star, an intern with the League, described the change as “a very clever way to participate in voter suppression” and urged people to talk with peers and community groups to raise awareness.

The League offered three practical steps for voters:

- Deliver a completed mail-in ballot to an official poll site and use an official drop box if available; that avoids reliance on postal processing times. - If using the post office, hand the ballot to a postal clerk at the counter and request an in-person postmark rather than relying on automatic collection; that immediate postmark is the only certain proof of mailing time. - Mail ballots with several days’ cushion — the League recommended sending ballots 7–10 days before the published deadline if mailing.

Burroughs emphasized state election law still governs deadlines and procedures for counting ballots, and that the postal change is a national operational procedure rather than an alteration of state law. “Election law is state law,” she said, “but this postal service procedure is a national procedure.”

The League encouraged voters to check authoritative sources for local rules and candidate information: the New York City Board of Elections site (vote.nyc) and Vote411, the League’s voter-information platform. The League also operates a hotline to help New Yorkers find polling places or sample ballots.

The broadcast did not include a statement from the U.S. Postal Service or the New York City Board of Elections about the procedural change. The League’s recommendation reflects its interpretation of operational changes and an elevated margin for error that voters should adopt when mailing ballots.

The program ended the segment urging listeners to plan ahead for local elections, noting that many decisions affecting housing, schools and transportation are made at the city and state level and that turnout in primaries can be decided by small margins.

The League’s segment aired live on Bronxet; listeners were advised to consult vote.nyc and Vote411 for the most current instructions.