Map showing change in rate of late-ballot rejections
In December, the USPS finalized a rule that requires ballots to be postmarked at new regional processing and distribution centers, rather than at a community’s local post office. To compound the delay, under new policy, if your post office is over 50 miles from a distribution center, your mail will be transported to the distribution center only once a day, instead of twice.
“So what does that mean? That could mean days that your ballot is delayed,” Secretary Hobbs said. A video of Secretary Hobbs’ remarks September 2, 2026 is HERE; a transcript is HERE.
Video of Seattle King County NAACP President Hayward Evans’ remarks is HERE and a transcript is HERE.
Video of League of Women Voters Snohomish County President Brenda Mann Harrison’s remarks is HERE and a transcript is HERE.
| County | Ballots Returned By Mail (2026) | Ballots Rejected – Late Postmark | 2026 | Ballots Returned By Mail (2024) | Ballots Rejected – Late Postmark | 2024 | Relative Percent Increase |
| Adams | 937 | 57 | 6.08% | 1,104 | 26 | 2.36% | 158.3% |
| Asotin | 2,084 | 111 | 5.33% | 2,339 | 36 | 1.54% | 246.1% |
| Benton | 12,570 | 785 | 6.25% | 26,015 | 353 | 1.36% | 360.2% |
| Chelan | 7,546 | 464 | 6.15% | 8,611 | 196 | 2.28% | 170.1% |
| Clallam | 6,093 | 279 | 4.58% | 8,129 | 102 | 1.25% | 264.9% |
| Clark | 44,620 | 707 | 1.58% | 54,609 | 934 | 1.71% | -7.4% |
| Columbia | 339 | 8 | 2.36% | 536 | 18 | 3.36% | -29.7% |
| Cowlitz | 8,469 | 221 | 2.61% | 10,668 | 231 | 2.17% | 20.5% |
| Douglas | 3,216 | 178 | 5.53% | 4,057 | 79 | 1.95% | 184.2% |
| Ferry | 1,280 | – | 0.00% | 1,573 | – | 0.00% | 0.0% |
| Franklin | 4,760 | 372 | 7.82% | 5,672 | 130 | 2.29% | 241.0% |
| Garfield | 239 | 19 | 7.95% | 281 | 11 | 3.91% | 103.1% |
| Grant | 6,677 | 341 | 5.11% | 8,664 | 178 | 2.05% | 148.6% |
| Grays Harbor | 6,129 | 135 | 2.20% | 8,488 | 147 | 1.73% | 27.2% |
| Island | 7,644 | 243 | 3.18% | 10,802 | 142 | 1.31% | 141.8% |
| Jefferson | 5,754 | 84 | 1.46% | 8,472 | 120 | 1.42% | 3.1% |
| King | 159,827 | 3,638 | 2.28% | 232,982 | 4,778 | 2.05% | 11.0% |
| Kitsap | 19,756 | 548 | 2.77% | 26,616 | 447 | 1.68% | 65.2% |
| Kittitas | 2,964 | 185 | 6.24% | 3,974 | 116 | 2.92% | 113.8% |
| Klickitat | 1,999 | 92 | 4.60% | 2,141 | 39 | 1.82% | 152.7% |
| Lewis | 10,072 | 686 | 6.81% | 11,801 | 222 | 1.88% | 262.1% |
| Lincoln | 2,668 | 30 | 1.12% | 3,032 | 59 | 1.95% | -42.2% |
| Mason | 6,171 | 258 | 4.18% | 8,689 | 60 | 0.69% | 505.5% |
| Okanogan | 5,544 | 334 | 6.02% | 6,565 | 92 | 1.40% | 329.9% |
| Pacific | 3,633 | 128 | 3.52% | 4,781 | 80 | 1.67% | 110.6% |
| Pend Oreille | 2,212 | 132 | 5.97% | 2,678 | 42 | 1.57% | 280.5% |
| Pierce | 55,474 | 1,125 | 2.03% | 81,163 | 1,609 | 1.98% | 2.3% |
| San Juan | 2,155 | 90 | 4.18% | 3,177 | 48 | 1.51% | 176.4% |
| Skagit | 10,511 | 637 | 6.06% | 27,357 | 294 | 1.07% | 463.9% |
| Skamania | 1,029 | 12 | 1.17% | 1,072 | 36 | 3.36% | -65.3% |
| Snohomish | 53,878 | 3,062 | 5.68% | 78,438 | 2,036 | 2.60% | 118.9% |
| Spokane | 62,323 | 1,321 | 2.12% | 79,195 | 1,494 | 1.89% | 12.4% |
| Stevens | 7,993 | 602 | 7.53% | 9,920 | 172 | 1.73% | 334.4% |
| Thurston | 20,056 | 465 | 2.32% | 29,248 | 638 | 2.18% | 6.3% |
| Wahkiakum | 705 | 10 | 1.42% | 824 | 5 | 0.61% | 133.8% |
| Walla Walla | 4,710 | 349 | 7.41% | 6,002 | 115 | 1.92% | 286.7% |
| Whatcom | 17,238 | 615 | 3.57% | 19,779 | 436 | 2.20% | 61.8% |
| Whitman | 3,991 | 194 | 4.86% | 5,745 | 86 | 1.50% | 224.7% |
| Yakima | 19,308 | 1,750 | 9.06% | 27,681 | 524 | 1.89% | 378.8% |
| z-Totals | 592,574 | 20,267 | 3.42% | 832,880 | 16,131 | 1.94% | 76.6% |
Note: The map above shows the rise in the rate of ballots being rejected for a late postmark among all ballots received. The chart shows the rate for only those ballots received via mail.