Election officials in Illinois have raised alarms about new rules from the United States Postal Service (USPS) that could significantly affect mail-in voting for the upcoming primary elections. These changes, which took effect on January 1, 2024, will be first tested during the March 17 primary, potentially impacting how ballots are counted.
Under the revised policy, a postmark will now indicate the day mail is processed rather than the day it is received by the USPS. This alteration means that ballots sent on Election Day may not be counted if they are processed after the deadline. In Illinois, a vote-by-mail ballot must be postmarked by Election Day and received no later than 14 days after that date to be valid. This could create complications for voters who wait until the last moment to send in their ballots.
Monica Gordon, Cook County Clerk, emphasized the seriousness of these changes, stating, “While this change has been described as minor, its potential impact on elections is anything but.” She urged voters to mail their ballots well in advance of the election to avoid any issues and recommended that they deliver their ballots directly to the post office, rather than relying on public mailboxes.
In Illinois, voters must request a mail-in ballot no later than five days before the election, which falls on March 12, 2024, for this year’s primary. Applications for mail-in ballots can be submitted through local county clerk offices, with forms available on the state’s Board of Elections website. Voters can track the status of their ballots through their county clerk’s office, with many offering online services.
If a mail-in ballot is rejected, the county clerk’s office is mandated to notify the voter within two days and provide an opportunity to correct any issues to ensure the ballot is counted. This added layer of communication aims to maintain transparency and trust in the mail-in voting process.
Voting by mail has gained popularity in recent years, but it has also faced criticism. Former President Donald Trump signed an executive order in 2025 prohibiting states from counting mail-in ballots arriving after Election Day, a decision that has been contested in court. Trump has also alleged that mail-in voting can lead to election fraud, claims that have been widely disputed by various advocacy groups.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has described criticisms of mail-in voting as “an attack on our democracy.” DNC Chair Ken Martin stated, “The DNC won’t sit idly by as Republicans attack our electoral system — we will keep fighting to ensure every eligible voter is able to have their vote counted.”
As Illinois prepares for its primary election, officials urge voters to remain proactive about their mail-in ballots. With the new USPS postmark rules in effect, early submission of ballots is more crucial than ever to ensure that every vote is counted accurately.