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When mailing in your voter registration, ballot by mail application, mail-in ballot, or any other voting-related information that has submission deadlines, you’ll want to take it to the post office as early as possible – as much as even a week ahead of time – to ensure it is received by the deadline.
That’s because on December 24, 2025, the United States Postal Service (USPS) published revisions to the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) regarding its policies and operations related to the use of postmarks. These are not changes to how mail is postmarked, but rather a clarification of what to expect regarding what date your mail will be postmarked when you drop it off.
What’s Not Changing
The USPS policy has been to treat all ballot mail as first-class mail, regardless of its actual paid mail class and to work to postmark every return ballot mailed by a voter. USPS has also clarified in the DMM that the date of a postmark may not always necessarily reflect the exact date that USPS took custody of a piece of mail. This has always been true due to mail processing delays, where a small number of mail pieces may end up postmarked the day after USPS takes possession of them.
What Voters Need to Know
USPS has acknowledged that the Regional Transportation Optimization (RTO) initiative, which includes the consolidation of mail processing centers across the country, will make it more common that postmarks may not necessarily reflect the date that USPS took possession of a mail piece.
If you would like to receive a postmark that reflects the actual date the USPS took possession of your ballot, you may go to your local post office, drop off the ballot at the desk and request the postmark to be placed with that day’s date. This service is free of charge.
Visit the USPS locator webpage to find your nearest post office.
Texas Deadlines for Mail-in Ballots
In Texas, your mail-in ballot is considered submitted when the county election official receives it. Mail-in ballots can be returned either by mail, by common or contract carrier (FedEx, UPS), or in person at your county elections office on election day.
If you return your ballot by mail, here are important deadlines to note:
- If the carrier envelope is not postmarked, the latest it can be received is 7:00 p.m. on election day.
- For carrier envelopes that have a postmark of no later than 7:00 p.m. on election day, those may be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on the day after election day.
- If the ballot has a postmark that is before or on election day, the latest a county can accept a ballot is by 5:00 p.m. the day after the election.
- For non-military overseas voters, ballots must be postmarked by 7:00 p.m. on election day. The latest date a county election office will accept a ballot that will be counted is the fifth day after election day. If the ballot is postmarked after 7:00 p.m. on election day, the county will not accept it.
- For military overseas voters using the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) that is available for service members and their families, there is no date requirement for postmark, but the latest a county election office can receive a FPCA ballot that will be counted is the sixth day after election day.
Visit the Federal Register page for official information on postmarks and possession from the USPS.
In-person Drop-off of Texas Mail-in Ballots
You can only drop off a mail-in ballot on election day in person at your county election office. The only person allowed to deliver the ballot is the voter themselves. The voter must bring a photo ID for verification. Mail-in ballots cannot be dropped off in person during the two weeks of early voting or any other time prior to election day. Hand-delivered ballots must be brought to the county election office.
Questions?
If you have questions, call the Disability Rights Texas Voter Hotline at 1-888-796-VOTE (8683) or email vote@drtx.org.
Last updated: February 6, 2026
Publication Code: HA39
www.DRTx.org
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Online Intake available 24/7: intake.DRTx.org
Disclaimer: Disability Rights Texas strives to update its materials on an annual basis, and this handout is based upon the law at the time it was written. The law changes frequently and is subject to various interpretations by different courts. Future changes in the law may make some information in this handout inaccurate.
The handout is not intended to and does not replace an attorney’s advice or assistance based on your particular situation.
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