As of January 2026, the United States Postal Service (USPS) has officially updated its postmark rules, potentially affecting the timeliness of sensitive mail. Effective December 24, 2025, a postmark now indicates the date a piece of mail is first processed at a regional facility by an automated sorting machine, rather than the date it was dropped off at a mailbox or local post office. Key Changes Regional Processing: Most mail dropped in blue collection boxes or neighborhood mailboxes is transpo

USPS changes postmark rules: What it means for your bills, ballots and taxes