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Election & Political Mail

Election and Political Mail are part of a long tradition in American political history.

Election Mail

Election Mail is any item mailed to or from authorized election officials that enables citizens to participate in the voting process. It includes items such as ballots, voter registration cards, and absentee applications that an authorized election official creates for voters.

Political Mail 

Political Mail is any mailpiece sent for political campaign purposes by a registered candidate, a campaign committee, or a committee of a political party to promote candidates, referendums, or campaigns. Material mailed by a political action committee or organization engaging in issues advocacy or voter mobilization is also considered political mail.

Election Mail

Our Work

As the Postal Service’s oversight agency, we:

  • Review USPS policies and procedures for processing and delivering Election and Political Mail.
  • Conduct nationwide unannounced observations at facilities and delivery units to verify compliance and identify any undelivered mail.
  • Evaluate visibility tools used to track Election Mail and analyze service performance data. 
  • Actively pursue all allegations of mishandling, tampering, or destruction of ballots and other election-related mail.
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FAQ's

What resources are available to election boards from the Postal Service? The Postal Service has a webpage dedicated to election mail services.

For best practices when voting by mail, see this USPS video.