Cook County Clerk cautions voters about USPS postmark change that could impact mail ballots

Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon is urging voters who plan to vote by mail to take extra precautions following a recent United States Postal Service policy change that could affect whether mail ballots can be counted.

Effective Jan. 1, the postal service implemented a nationwide change to how it defines a postmark. Under the new policy, a postmark no longer reflects the date a ballot is received by USPS.  Instead, it reflects the date the…