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 The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) implemented new procedures for dating mail on December 24, postmarking letters and packages with the date they are processed at a postal facility rather than when they are dropped off in a mailbox — a shift that could affect whether time-sensitive mail is considered on time.  

The USPS says the change is aimed at meeting strategic goals to cut costs and streamline mail processing by consolidating processing in fewer facilities. But it could create real challenges for consumers dealing with deadline-driven mail-in ballot processes.

Date differences between when the sender drops off a piece of mail and when it is processed and postmarked are likely to “become more common” as the changes roll out, according to USPS.

That means a tax return dropped in a big blue mailbox on April 15 or a vote-by-mail ballot sent on Election Day could still be marked late — risking IRS penalties or a rejected vote — because USPS now postmarks when mail is processed rather than when it is sent.  

If you typically wait until the Friday before an election to mail your ballot, you might want to rethink slipping it into a mailbox or post office receptacle. Instead, consider taking it inside the post office and choosing one of these in-person options to document that it was in USPS’s hands ahead of a deadline: 

• Request a manual postmark (also called a local postmark ) to ensure the date matches when your item was accepted.
• Send by registered or certified mail, methods that provide mailing receipts and tracking. 
• Get a certificate of mailing. This works like a receipt, providing official proof of when an item was sent. Keep your copy; the USPS does not retain one. When meeting mailing deadlines, keep in mind that certificates of mailing do not provide tracking and, for some government institutions, do not override the postmark on the envelope.

Taken from the AARP.org website article

https://www.aarp.org/government-elections/usps-postmark-changes/