Ballots sent by mail must be postmarked on or before Election Day to count. But a U.S. Postal Service change made last year can delay postmarks by two to five days, Hobbs said. Election Day was one week away when he issued the warning.

“If you’re about a week out from elections, just put it in a drop box. Do not mail it,” Hobbs said. Voters who still choose to use the Postal Service should take their ballot to a postal clerk and ask for an immediate postmark, he said, calling that the surest option within the final week.

Attorney General Nick Brown also urged voters to use drop boxes, describing them as the safest, quickest and most efficient way to ensure a ballot is counted. He said federal executive orders seeking to control or restrict mail voting had been successfully challenged in court, preserving state and local authority over election administration.

Brown said Washington’s existing voting system remains in place and that voters can continue using the same methods they have relied on in the past. For voters still holding ballots, the immediate concern is timing: dropping a ballot at an official box avoids the risk of a delayed postal postmark.