Subtle details voters need to know as vote-by-mail ballots are sent out
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. (KESQ) – The Riverside County Registrar of Voters Office announced this week it sent out over a million ballots to be mailed to voters in the county.
As voters receive their ballots, there are some subtle details they need to know to ensure their vote is counted in the upcoming primary election.
The state outlines several key deadlines for voters ahead of the election.
- The last day to register to vote for the June 2, 2026, Primary Election is May 18, 2026
- County elections officials began mailing ballots on May 4, 2026.
- Secure ballot drop-off locations open on May 5, 2026
- Ballots can be dropped off at a drop-off location, county elections office, or returned by mail.
- The first vote centers open for early in-person voting in all Voter’s Choice Act counties on May 23, 2026
- In person early voting locations throughout California will be open on Saturday, May 30, 2026
- June 2 is the last day to vote in-person or return a ballot by 8:00 p.m. Polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked no later than June 2. If mailing on Elections Day, get a hand-stamped postmark from a postal employee inside a United States Post Office
Last December, the United States Postal Service (USPS) clarified in its Domestic Mail Manual, or DMM, the way it postmarks mail – a key detail for voters to pay attention to because of the requirement for ballots to be postmarked on or before Election Day.
In its manual, the Postal Service wrote that a postmark confirms the Postal Service accepted custody of a mailpiece on the date that is listed. However, it clarifies that the postmark doesn't necessarily indicate the first day the Postal Service had custody. The date displayed on the postmark represents the date the first automated-processing action was taken on the mailpiece, or when it was accepted at a retail unit. Since most postmarks are applied at processing facilities, it's entirely possible for the date displayed on the postmark to be a different day than when it was received by the Post Office.
Thus, if you submit your vote-by-mail ballot on June 2nd, and the first time it is automatically processed in the Postal Service's system is the following day, your vote won't be counted because it was postmarked after the deadline.
If you want to ensure your vote is counted, you're encouraged by the state to get a manual postmark from the Post Office, which aligns with the day the ballot is mailed.
"The Postal Service tries to ensure that every piece of Ballot Mail returned by voters receives a postmark, regardless of whether it is mailed with postage prepaid by election officials or mailed with a stamp affixed by the voter.
If voters want to ensure that their completed ballot-return envelope receives a postmark, and that the postmark date aligns with the date of mailing, they should bring their mailpiece to the retail counter at a Postal Service retail location and request a manual postmark, which will be applied free of charge upon accepting custody of the mailpiece."
Still, the best course of action to ensure your vote is counted is to return your mail-in ballot as soon as possible.
Tonight, we're speaking with locals urging people to vote with more on the questions they're getting about the vote-by-mail change. Stay with us for the latest.
