Election Mail Act

The "Election Mail Act" seeks to significantly improve procedures and requirements for election mail, ensuring more efficient and reliable delivery of ballots by mandating that the Postal Service process and clear all ballots from facilities on the same day they are received, to the maximum extent practicable. Furthermore, the bill requires the Postal Service to postmark all mailed ballots, indicating the date they were sent, and prohibits any operational changes that would restrict prompt delivery of election mail within 120 days before a federal election, such as removing mail collection boxes or mail sorting machines. To enhance tracking and visibility, the legislation requires states to provide return envelopes with intelligent mail barcodes for federal election ballots, unless an alternative tracking system is used. Election officials must also affix specific tags (Tag 191) and use the Official Election Mail logo on ballot trays and sacks. The bill also establishes an Election Mail Coordinator at each USPS area and district office to improve communication with state and local election officials. Additionally, the Act stipulates that election mail be carried under First-Class Mail service standards and mandates free postage for all completed absentee or mail-in ballots. It sets a uniform deadline for ballot acceptance, requiring states to count ballots postmarked by Election Day and received within seven days thereafter. Finally, the Postmaster General is directed to consult annually with Indian Tribes to address voting barriers related to postal services on Indian lands.