California's Mail Ballot Rejection Rate Rises Amid Postal Service Concerns
Nearly 150,000 mail-in ballots were rejected in California's June primary, marking a significant increase from previous elections. The primary reason for the rejections was late-arriving ballots, which accounted for over 93,000 of the rejected votes. This issue has been attributed to changes in the U.S. Postal Service's processing procedures, which may delay postmarks. Despite efforts to make voting more accessible, such as allowing ballots to arrive up to seven days after Election Day if postmarked on time, the rejection rate has increased. Lawmakers have expressed concern over these postal changes, fearing they could impact future elections.