The secretary of state's office along with election advocates emphasized that a timely postmark alone isn't enough to ensure a mail ballot arrives on time to be counted, and recommended voters return their ballot to a drop box or vote in person after Oct. 27. (Photo: Jeniffer Solis/Nevada Current)
The U.S. Postal Service’s recommended deadline for mailing in ballots passed Tuesday, prompting voting advocates to urge Nevadans who missed the window to return their ballot to a drop box or vote in person.
USPS officials say they are ready to deliver election ballots securely and on time, but recommended voters mail completed ballots at least one week before the ballots must be received by their local election office.
The agency assured it has the capacity to deliver the nation’s ballots during the final stretch of the election, but has repeatedly advised voters to return ballots by Oct. 27, one week before the Nov. 3 Election Day, to avoid any delivery delays.
In Nevada, mail ballots sent through the post office can only be counted if they are postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the election department no later than 5pm on the fourth day after Election Day.
The Nevada Secretary of State’s office warned voters not to wait until the last minute to return completed mail ballots, and has urged voters to mail it as soon as possible or deposit ballots at one of several drop box locations to ensure on time arrival.
Election advocates also emphasized that a timely postmark alone isn’t enough to ensure a mail ballot arrives on time to be counted, and recommended voters return their ballot to a drop box after Oct. 27 or vote in person.
“If you are unable to mail it back by the 27th, please drop it off at a dropbox or vote in person either early or on Election Day,” said Kerry Durmick, the Nevada State Director for All Voting Is Local.
Emily Persaud-Zamora, the executive director of Silver State Voices, directed voters worried about their ballots being returned on time to use drop boxes, or take them directly to a local election office.
“For voters in Clark and Washoe counties, all polling locations will have a drop box. Voters can also check out the interactive map from the NV SOS to see drop box sites and polling locations throughout the state of Nevada,” said Persaud-Zamora in a statement.
Voters can also track their ballots on the state website to ensure it has been accepted by the state’s election department.
Nevada has one of the highest shares of voter participation by mail-in ballot, according to a recent report to Congress. In the 2024 general election about 45% of Nevada voters opted to cast mail ballots.
Athar Haseebullah, the executive director of the ACLU of Nevada, emphasized that “voting by mail is safe and secure,” but warned that “with unprecedented threats to USPS, it’s best to get your ballot mailed back as early as possible.”
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in June that election officials may continue to count mail ballots received after election day, a legal challenge that was part of the Trump administration’s broader attack on most mail balloting.
USPS officials said they are preparing additional measures to speed up ballot deliveries during the final stretch of the election season, including extra mail deliveries and collections, special pickups, expedited sorting at processing facilities and localized handling and transportation of ballots.
“The Postal Service is confident and ready to deliver a successful Election Mail season,” Postmaster General David Steiner said in a statement last week.
USPS officials pointed to the agency’s record during the 2024 general election, when 99.6% of ballots mailed by voters were delivered to election officials within three days, according to the Postal Service’s post-election analysis.
