The Brookings Institute cited CEC’s recent long-form regulatory comment submitted to the USPS concerning the importance of maintaining the historic purpose and uses of the postmark in a recent article, “When a postmark no longer tracks mailing”.

As Brookings notes, despite concerns from “civil society groups”, including CEC, the USPS last week implemented a change to its Domestic Mail Manual that eschews centuries of postal practice to change how postmarks are applied and their significance for third parties, such as voters and election administrators, who rely on them.