S TAT E A N D L O C A L E L E C T I O N 

MAIL— USER’S GUIDE

January 2020

Publication 632

 State and Local Election Mail User’s Guide

© U.S. POSTAL SERVICE JANUARY 2020 3 PUBLICATION 632

Contents

How to Use This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  

Section I

Determining the Appropriate Class 

of Mail to Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  

What You Are Mailing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  

How Your Mailpieces Are Designed . . . . . . . . .  

How Quickly You Need the Pieces Delivered . .  

How Many Pieces You Have . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  

Whether You Want Free Forwarding and 

Return . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  

If You Need Extra Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  

Section II

Using Reply Mail and Sending Mail 

to Armed Forces Personnel and 

Overseas Voters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  

Section Ill

Preparing Your Address List . . . . . . . . . . . .  

Address Hygiene Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  

Physical Address Hygiene and Quality . . . . . . .  

Move Update Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  

More Addressing Tips for Election Mailers . . . .  

Addressing Official Election Mail to Persons 

Overseas and in the Military . . . . . . . . . . .  1

Section IV

Consulting With a Postal Service 

Election Mail Coordinator to Plan 

the Mailing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  1

Consult With Your Local Postal Service 

Election Mail Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . .  1

Section V

Filing Required Forms for Postage 

Discounts and Other Mailing Services . . .  1

For Postage Discounts, Use PS Form 3615 .  1

For Authorization for Nonprofit Status, Use 

PS Form 3624 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  1

Section VI. Working With a Mailpiece

Design Analyst to Ensure Mailpiece 

Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  1

Consult With a Mailpiece Design Analyst 

Before Printing Your Envelopes . . . . . . . . .  1

More Design Tips for Election Mailers . . . . . .  1

Design Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  1

Section VlI. Preparing and Presenting

the Mailing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  1

At Least 2 Weeks Before Election Day, 

Finalize Your Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  1

Section VIll: Election Mail Checklist . . . . . . .  1
 State and Local Election Mail User’s Guide

© U.S. POSTAL SERVICE JANUARY 2020 4 PUBLICATION 632

How to Use This Guide

You will find eight sections in this guide. Each of the

following sections provides information election officials 

must consider before they mail:

I. Determining the Appropriate Class of Mail to Use.

II. Using Reply Mail and Sending Mail to Armed 

Forces Personnel and Overseas Voters.

III. Preparing Your Address List.

IV. Consulting With a Postal Service Election Mail 

Coordinator to Plan the Mailing.

V. Filing Required Forms for Postage Discounts and 

Other Mailing Services.

VI. Working With a Mailpiece Design Analyst to 

Ensure Mailpiece Quality.

VII. Preparing and Presenting the Mailing.

VIII. Election Mail Checklist. 

Each of the sections in this guide contains a brief 

description of the topic, the most pertinent items to 

consider, and references for additional information. You

can access the information in this guide and additional 

resources on usps.com.

See the following resources:

¡ The Election Mail website at www.usps.com/

electionmail contains material for preparing 

mailings, and direct links to the additional 

references mentioned in this guide

¡ Postal Explorer at https://pe.usps.com contains 

resources to aid in making informed decisions

¡ Quick Service Guides at https://pe.usps.com/text/

qsg300/q000.htm contain concise explanations 

and useful illustrations covering most Postal 

Service requirements

¡ Mailing Standards of the United States Postal 

Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) at https://

pe.usps.com/DMM300/Index contains domestic 

mail information and requirements
 State and Local Election Mail User’s Guide

© U.S. POSTAL SERVICE JANUARY 2020 5 PUBLICATION 632

Section I. 

Determining the Appropriate Class of Mail to Use

The class of mail you use to send your pieces depends 

on the following:

¡ What are you mailing (e.g., ballots, newsletters

voter registration)?

¡ Does your mailpiece contain personal information?

¡ How are the mailpieces designed (e.g., dimensions

weight, card vs. envelope)

¡ How quickly do you need the pieces delivered?

¡ How many pieces do you have?

¡ Do you want free forwarding and/or return (if pieces 

cannot be forwarded)?

¡ Will you require extra services (e.g., Certified Mai

service, which provides you with a mailing receipt 

and delivery status)?

The main classes of mail you will want to consider are 

First-Class Mail and USPS Marketing Mail. The following

table summarizes the important features of each

Class of Mail

Speed of 

Service*

Free 

Forwarding 

and Return

Secure 

Destruction Extra Services

Presort 

Discounts

Single 

Piece IMb

First-Class Mail 2–5 days Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

USPS Marketing Mail 3–10 days No No Only for Parcels Yes No Yes

Nonprofit USPS 

Marketing Mail 3–10 days No No Only for Parcels Yes No Yes

*Actual delivery times may vary depending on mail entry origin and destination.

What You Are Mailing

First-Class Mail: You may send mailable matter using 

First-Class Mail service. Some types of mail must

be sent using First-Class Mail service, including mail 

that has the character of personal correspondence

First-Class Mail service is closed against postal 

inspection. For a full definition of what must be sent

using First-Class Mail service, see DMM 133.3.0 a

https://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm300/133.htm

USPS Marketing Mail: USPS Marketing Mail is mail 

that is not required to be sent as First-Class Mail. For a

full definition of what you can send as USPS Marketing 

Mail, see DMM 243.2.0 at https://pe.usps.gov/tex

dmm300/243.htm#ep1137672

Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail: Under the National 

Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA), state and local 

voting registration officials may mail certain USPS 

Marketing Mail materials that are authorized or required 

by the NVRA at the Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail 

prices, which are lower than the regular USPS Marketing 

Mail prices. For further information on what organizations

are eligible to use Nonprofit prices and what kind of mail 

can be sent at Nonprofit prices, refer to DMM 703.1.0 a

https://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm300/703.htm#ep1114977

and Publication 417, Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail 

Eligibility: Nonprofit and Other Qualified Organizations

at https://pe.usps.com/text/pub417/welcome.htm

Applicable customer support rulings, such as PS-323, 

“Computer-Prepared Mailpieces Entered by Authorized 

Nonprofit Organizations,” can provide additional 

guidance and can be found online at https://pe.usps.

com/CustomerSupportRuling/Index
 State and Local Election Mail User’s Guide

© U.S. POSTAL SERVICE JANUARY 2020 6 PUBLICATION 632

How Your Mailpieces Are Designed

The contents, weight, size, and design of your mailpiece 

can affect the class of mail you can use. First-Class

Mail may weigh up to 13 ounces. USPS Marketing Mail,

including Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail, must weigh 

less than 16 ounces

Various presort discounts apply to both First-Class Mail 

and USPS Marketing Mail. Additional discounts are

available for automation pieces, which have additional 

requirements. For further information, see DMM 201.3

(cards/letters) at https://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm300/201.

htm#ep1042622 and 201.6.0 (flats) at https://pe.usp

gov/text/dmm300/201.htm#ep1097107

How Quickly You Need the Pieces Delivered

Most First-Class Mail is delivered within 2–5 days. Most

USPS Marketing Mail and Nonprofit USPS Marketing 

Mail pieces take between 3–10 days (overseas 

territories 13-18 days) to be delivered

Work closely with your local Postal Service election mail 

coordinator to determine the most likely delivery times 

for your mailing

How Many Pieces You Have

There is no minimum for the number of pieces that 

may be sent at First-Class Mail single-piece prices. If

you have at least 500 pieces in the same size category 

[letter-size or oversize envelopes (flats)], you may be 

able to send them at First-Class Mail discount prices

For further information, see DMM 233 at https://

pe.usps.gov/text/dmm300/233.htm. To send USPS

Marketing Mail, you need to have at least 200 pieces 

or 50 pounds in the same size category. For further

information, see DMM 243 at https://pe.usps.gov/text/

dmm300/243.htm

Whether You Want Free Forwarding and Return

The Postal Service offers three options for how it treats 

mail that cannot be delivered to the address on the 

envelope. Mail can be forwarded to the new address,

returned to you, or discarded

If you use First-Class Mail, the forwarding and/or return 

services are free. First-Class Mail may be discarded

only when Change Service Requested is provided via 

Address Change Service (ACS) (see Section III – Move 

Update Options and note that fees may apply). Secure

Destruction is available for First-Class Mail that contains 

personally identifiable information

Undeliverable as addressed (UAA) USPS Marketing 

Mail is generally discarded. If you use USPS Marketing

Mail and you want the mail forwarded or returned, the 

mailpiece must have the appropriate ancillary service 

endorsement printed on the address side of the 

mailpiece, and you will be charged for each mailpiece 

that is returned. For more information about ancillary

and address correction services available, see DMM 

507.1.5 at https://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm300/50

htm#ep1223780

If You Need Extra Services

The Postal Service has a number of service 

enhancements, called extra services, available for use 

with First-Class Mail service. Extra services can be

purchased for an additional fee. The extra service that is

generally of most interest to election officials is Certified 

Mail service. The service provides the sender with a

mailing receipt and, upon request, electronic verification 

that the Postal Service delivered or attempted to 

deliver the mailpiece. For further information, see DMM

503.3.0 at https://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm300/50

htm#ep1063590
 State and Local Election Mail User’s Guide

© U.S. POSTAL SERVICE JANUARY 2020 7 PUBLICATION 632

Section II. 

Using Reply Mail and Sending Mail to Armed Forces Personnel and Overseas Voters

Business Reply Mail (BRM): If you provide return 

envelopes for mail such as ballots, consider using BRM 

service. BRM is a First-Class Mail service that enables

you to pay the return postage (including a per-piece 

fee), for only the mail returned to you. You can distribute

BRM cards, envelopes, self-mailers, cartons, or labels 

and have them returned to you at any Post Office. The

mailpieces you distribute need to conform to a specific 

format, including use of a unique ZIP+4 code assigned 

by the Postal Service

For more information on BRM see Quick Service Guide 

505, Business Reply Mail and Qualified Business Reply 

Mail Fact Sheet for Election Mail located within Kit 600, 

and DMM 505.1.0, https://pe.usps.com/text/qsg30

Q505.htm.

Qualified Business Reply Mail (QBRM): If you are 

anticipating receiving approximately 611 or more return 

letters, or 591 cards, annually, consider the use of 

QBRM. QBRM service provides you with discounts on

postage and per-piece fees; however, it only applies 

to automation-compatible cards and letter-size mail 

weighing up to and including 2 ounces. The design

must be approved by the Postal Service before 

distribution, and there are requirements for advance 

deposits and accounting fees

For more information on QBRM, see Quick Service 

Guide 505, Business Reply Mail and Qualified Business 

Reply Mail Fact Sheet for Election Mail located within 

Kit 600, and DMM 505.1.1.3 to 505.1.2 and 505.

https://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm300/505.htm#1_0.

Courtesy Reply Mail (CRM): CRM consists of preaddressed postcards or envelopes that you provide to 

voters both to expedite their responses and to provide 

accurate delivery to the correct return address. CRM

differs from BRM in that the voter is responsible for 

applying the correct postage to the return piece and no 

permit or fees are required. For further information, see

Courtesy Reply Mail Quick Service Guide 505a, https://

pe.usps.com/text/qsg300/Q505a.htm.

Shortpaid and Unpaid Absentee Balloting Materials: 

Shortpaid and unpaid absentee balloting materials will 

not be returned to the voter for additional postage

Postage is collected from the election office upon 

delivery or at a later date. The Postal Service will not

delay delivery of balloting materials

Absentee Balloting Materials for Military Personnel 

and Overseas Voters: You may send absentee 

balloting materials through the mail without prepayment 

of postage for certain elections when the absentee 

balloting materials allow eligible persons in the following 

categories to apply for registration and vote by absentee 

ballot when absent from their place of voting residence:

¡ Members of the Armed Forces in active service and 

their spouses and dependents

¡ Members of the U.S. Merchant Marine and thei

spouses and dependents

¡ U.S. citizens residing outside the territorial limit

of the United States and the District of Columbia 

and their spouses and dependents residing with or 

accompanying them

You must prepare balloting materials in accordance with 

DMM 703.8.0 at https://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm300/70

htm#ep1174014

Mailing Standards of the United States Postal 

Service: Effective October 7, 2013, balloting materials 

for any election, whether disseminated in hardcopy or 

electronically, must indicate in a prominent location the 

proper amount of First-Class Mail postage that must be 

applied, except in certain circumstances for balloting 

materials for military and overseas voters or where 

postage is prepaid. This information must be included

in the balloting materials (i.e., on the ballot, ballo

instructions, mailing instructions, or the envelope) with 

the marking “First-Class Mail postage must be applied.”

The marking “Apply First-Class Mail postage here” could 

be printed in the upper-right corner of the address side 

of the envelope used by the voter to return the marked 

ballot to election officials. The Postal Service will also

accept approved variations of the indicia enumerated 

above

The marking requirements will not apply to balloting 

materials that meet one of the following exceptions: 

¡ The balloting materials fall under the special 

exemptions for military and overseas voting

¡ The ballot is returned service

¡ Return postage is guaranteed through a postage 

due account

¡ Postage on the ballot is prepaid by stamps, meter, 

or Permit Reply Mail
 State and Local Election Mail User’s Guide

© U.S. POSTAL SERVICE JANUARY 2020 8 PUBLICATION 632

Section Ill. 

Preparing Your Address List

Having an updated, correct, and complete address list 

will help ensure accurate and timely delivery of your 

mail. By maximizing your address quality, you can also

minimize your mailing costs. The Postal Service has

established minimum standards for address quality for 

certain postage prices

Accurate and standardized addresses will help reduce 

the amount of UAA pieces in your mailings. To learn

more about the correct way to standardize your 

addresses, see Publication 28, Postal Addressing 

Standards online at https://pe.usps.com/text/pub28/

welcome.htm.

Address Hygiene Tools

The Postal Service has a variety of products and 

services that will help improve the accuracy of your 

mailing lists, the quality of the physical addresses, and 

provide Move Update information. These hygiene tools

are available through either the Postal Service or private 

mail service providers licensed or certified by the Postal 

Service. For information about address hygiene, go to:

postalpro.usps.com/address-quality

Physical Address Hygiene and Quality

The following four products will help ensure that all your 

addresses are deliverable — and also identify those with 

address deficiencies:

a. Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS

CASS-certified address matching software will 

help standardize your addresses and update your 

files with ZIP+4 codes. You can get CASS-certified

software from numerous mail service providers or 

have your own software CASS-certified. Having

ZIP+4 codes on your mail improves the speed 

and efficiency of your mail delivery and can reduce 

postage prices

b. Delivery Point Validation (DPV): DPV can confir

the existence of an address on a mailing list as a 

valid delivery point and helps you identify inaccurate 

or incomplete addresses. You must use the DPV

product in conjunction with CASS-certified address 

matching software. DPV is available from various

vendors or can be acquired by the end user

c. Address Element Correction (AEC): AEC is a

entirely computerized address correction process 

which uses logic routines to assist in ZIP+4 coding 

previously un-coded addresses, allowing mail to 

qualify for discounted automation prices

d. Address Element Correction II (AEC II)

AEC II is for addresses that AEC cannot resolve 

electronically. In AEC II, addresses are sent to

delivery personnel, carriers, and clerks in local Post 

Offices for resolution

Move Update Options

Mailers are required to update all addresses on 

discounted First-Class Mail and USPS Marketing Mail 

within 95 days before a mailing. The Postal Service

makes the following Move Update options available 

to mailers at reasonable costs. You need to determine

which of the following methods work best for your 

organization:

a. NCOALink Systems: The NCOALink process provide

change of address (COA) data, submitted by 

customers who have moved and have notified the 

Postal Service of a COA. Updated 18- or 48-month

computerized COA information is provided on 

a regular basis to the NCOALink licensees by the 

Postal Service. NCOALink is very effective because it

corrects your addresses before you mail

NCOALink — The NCOALink product is a secure 

dataset of approximately 160 million permanent 

COA records consisting of names and addresses 

of individuals, families, and businesses who have 

filed a change of address with the Postal Service

Developed with secure data store technology to 

increase security of postal customer data and 

protect the privacy of this information, the NCOALink

product enables mailers to process mailing lists 

and update lists with new addresses prior to 
 State and Local Election Mail User’s Guide

© U.S. POSTAL SERVICE JANUARY 2020 9 PUBLICATION 632

mailing. The NCOALink data is provided on a regular

basis to companies that have been licensed by the 

Postal Service

b. Address Change Service: ACS is an addres

correction service that provides mailers a costeffective means of obtaining current COA 

information when mail is UAA. ACS allows you

to update address files electronically, eliminating 

the cost, time, and errors of manual keying. ACS

provides a data file that includes new address 

information or the reason your mail cannot be 

delivered (examples: “Attempted – Not Known” 

or “Insufficient Address”). The Postal Service

will charge an electronic or automated address 

correction fee for each address correction record 

provided, unless mailers use Full-Service ACS

With ACS, you get corrected information for your 

mailpiece after the mailing. For more information

about ACS, go to https://postalpro.usps.com/

address-quality/ACS.

c. Ancillary Service Endorsements (ASE): ASE

are used to request an addressee’s new address 

and to provide the Postal Service with instructions 

on how to handle your mail if it is UAA. “Address

Service Requested,” “Change Service Requested,” 

and “Return Service Requested” endorsements 

meet the Move Update standards and provide you 

with the new address or the reason the mail cannot 

be delivered through either a separate address 

correction notice (PS Form 3547, Notice to Mailer 

of Correction in Address) or the return of your mail

Manual address correction fees or return postage 

may apply. For more information on ASE, see DMM

507.1.5 at https://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm300/50

htm#ep1223780

NOTE: ACS and ASE are post-mailing updates, 

and do not meet the Move Update requirement the 

first time you use it for the mailing. For an address

to meet the Move Update requirement using 

ACE or an ASE, you must mail to your customers 

at least once every 95 days and update the 

addresses used on the mailpieces prior to the next 

mailing. You must use an approved pre-mailing

method or mail the pieces at the single piece FirstClass Mail rate if it is more than 95 days in between 

your mailings, or if this is the first time you will 

mail to an address not obtained directly from the 

addressee (in the last 95 days)

Additional information on how to comply with the 

Move Update standard can be found in the Guide 

to Move Update at https://postalpro.usps.com/

moveupdate/guide and DMM 602.5 at https://

pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/602.htm

More Addressing Tips for Election Mailers

If you are required by law to include information on the 

outside of an envelope, it should be printed so it is not 

in the optical character read area used by Postal Service 

processing equipment to read the delivery address. If

voter information must appear in the delivery address 

block area (i.e., address labels are used for both th

voter information and the delivery address), then the 

voter information line must appear above the recipient 

line of the delivery address

A Postal Service mailpiece design analyst (MDA) can 

help you, at no charge, with this and other aspects 

of proper mail design. For help with mailpiece design,

contact a MDA by calling the MDA Customer Service 

Help Desk at 855-593-6093 (hours of operation are 

Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time, clo

fedral holidays) or send your request by email to MDA@

usps.gov. Also, mailpiece design information is available

on PostalPro at https://postalpro.usps.com/mailing/

mailpiece-design-analyst-mda-customer-service-helpdesk.

For more information on Postal Service addressing 

products and services visit https://www.usps.com/

nationalpremieraccounts/manageprocessandaddress.

htm or contact:

NATIONAL CUSTOMER SUPPORT CENTER 

UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE

225 N HUMPHREYS BLVD STE 501

MEMPHIS TN 38188-1001

TEL.: 800-238-315

FAX: 901-767-8853
 State and Local Election Mail User’s Guide

© U.S. POSTAL SERVICE JANUARY 2020 10 PUBLICATION 632

Addressing Official Election Mail to Persons 

Overseas and in the Military

Foreign addresses except Canada: The very last 

line of mail addressed to a foreign country must 

contain the country name printed in capital letters (no 

abbreviations). When using a foreign postal code, place

it on the line above the country of destination

Example:

MR THOMAS CLARK

117 RUSSELL DRIVE 

LONDON WIP 7HQ 

ENGLAND

Canadian addresses: For mail addressed to Canada, 

the last line of the address must show only the country 

name, written in full (no abbreviations) and in capital 

letters. There must be two spaces between the province

abbreviation and the postal code, as shown below 

between ON and K1A OB1

Example:

MRS HELEN K SAUNDERS

1010 CLEAR STREET 

OTTAWA ON K1A 0B1

CANADA

For additional information on addressing mail to foreign 

countries, consult Mailing Standards of the United 

States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM) 

122 available online at pe.usps.com.

Military addresses: Overseas military and diplomatic 

addresses must conform to domestic addressing 

standards format, while including the correct Air Force/

Army Post Office (APO), Fleet Post Office (FPO), or 

Diplomatic Post Office (DPO) and AA, AE, or AP 

designation. AA, AE, and AP are used for addresses

with the 3-digit ZIP Code prefixes 340, 090-098, and 

962-966, respectively. APO/FPO/DPO addresses must

not include a foreign city and/or country name

Mail must be addressed to an individual or job title 

such as “Commander,” “Commanding Officer,” or other 

charges. Mail addressed to “Any Service Member,”

or similar wording such as “Any Soldier,” “Sailor,” 

“Airman,” or “Marine”; “Military Mail”; or any other vague 

description, is prohibited

The correct format and correlating examples are as 

follows: 

a. Line 1: Job Title and/or Full na

b. Line 2: The delivery line (the second line fro

the bottom in the address) must show the word 

“UNIT”, “CMR”, or “PSC” and number; as well as 

the box number assigned

c. Line 3: The bottom line must contain th

APO/FPO/DPO (“city”) designation and the 

appropriate two-letter AA, AE, or AP (“state”) 

abbreviation followed by the ZIP Code or ZIP+4 

code

SEAMAN JOHN DOE 

UNIT 100100 BOX 4120 

FPO AP 96691

JOHN DOE 

PSC 5698 BOX 2002 

APO AE 09400

Department of State addresses: Overseas mail 

addressed to Department of State personnel must 

show on the top line: full name, including first name 

and middle name or initial; and the delivery line with 

unit, number, and box number assigned. The bottom

line must contain the DPO “city” designation and the 

appropriate two-letter “state” abbreviation (AA, AE, or 

AP), followed by the ZIP Code or ZIP+4 code

Example:

JANE T DOE

UNIT 9900 BOX 0500

DPO AE 09701-0500
 State and Local Election Mail User’s Guide

© U.S. POSTAL SERVICE JANUARY 2020 11 PUBLICATION 632

Section IV. 

Consulting With a Postal Service Election Mail Coordinator to Plan the Mailing

Consult With Your Local Postal Service Election 

Mail Coordinator

Contact your local Postal Service election mail 

coordinator to arrange a meeting. You may also want to

have direct contact with all local Post Offices within your 

county to help coordinate your mailing. In the meeting,

include the following people:

¡ All your personnel involved in ordering, designing, 

addressing, and preparing mail

¡ Any outside mail service providers or suppliers you 

are using

In the meeting, your Postal Service election mail 

coordinator will discuss the logistics of your mailings 

with you, including the following:

¡ Delivery date: When planning the date, you will 

want to consider the size of the mailing, the time 

sensitivity of the contents, and the class of mail 

(e.g., First-Class Mail, USPS Marketing Mail). F

ballots, take into consideration holidays and 3-day 

weekends so that ballots will not sit in mailboxes 

over a long weekend. The Postal Service delivers

6 days a week, Monday through Saturday, but 

does not deliver on federal holidays. Because

different classes of mail have different service 

standards, the Postal Service recommends the use 

of First-Class Mail service to obtain timely delivery

¡ When to give the mailpieces to the Postal 

Service: The Postal Service can help schedule a 

time that allows for the immediate acceptance of 

your mailing. If more than one county is involved, it

is important to coordinate the time of acceptance 

for each

¡ Where to give the mail to the Postal Service: 

Typically, you will give your mail to a Business Mail 

Entry Unit, but larger Post Offices may need to 

direct the mailing to a specific dock area

¡ Bulk preparation supplies and equipment you 

will need: Talk with your Postal Service election 

mail coordinator about Postal Service supplies 

(e.g., forms, tags, trays, and sacks), and how yo

can order them. There are no charges for these

items. The Postal Service recommends the use of

Tag 191, Domestic and International Ballots, on 

tray and sack containers to identify official ballot 

mail only while in the mailstream. Tag 191 cannot

be used to identify other types of Election Mail

¡ Required forms and mailing profiles: Forms 

are required if you want to mail at bulk discount 

postage prices for First-Class Mail, USPS 

Marketing Mail, or Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail

¡ Options for mail that cannot be delivered: 

Discuss how you want the Postal Service to handle 

mail that is UAA. See ACS and ASE in Section III

for more information

¡ Return ballot address options: You have a 

number of options where completed ballots will be 

mailed back, including the following:

− Use your office address and ZIP+4 code

− Rent a Post Office box. This service allows you

to pick up your mail during the hours the box 

lobby is open

− Use caller service. Caller service is a premium

service available for a fee, which allows you 

to pick up mail at a Post Office call window or 

loading dock when the office is open
 State and Local Election Mail User’s Guide

© U.S. POSTAL SERVICE JANUARY 2020 12 PUBLICATION 632

Section V. 

Filing Required Forms for Postage Discounts and Other Mailing Services

The forms you will need are available through your 

local Post Office and at https://about.usps.com/forms/

welcome.htm.

For Postage Discounts, Use PS Form 3615

If you want to send your mail using First-Class Mail 

service or USPS Marketing Mail and receive discounts 

based on the volume and preparation of your mailings, 

you will need to obtain a permit from the Postal Service

This can be done by using PS Form 3615, Mailing 

Permit Application and Customer Profile.

For Authorization for Nonprofit Status, Use 

PS Form 3624

If you want to mail any of your mailpieces using 

Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail prices, you will first 

need to obtain authorization from the Postal Service

To do so, submit PS Form 3624, Application to Mail at 

Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail Prices, to apply with 

supporting documentation

For more information, see Publication 417, Nonprofit 

USPS Marketing Mail Eligibility: Nonprofit and Other 

Qualified Organization at https://pe.usps.com/text/

pub417/welcome.htm, and DMM 703.1.0 at https:

pe.usps.gov/text/dmm300/703.htm#ep1114977

For Business Reply Mail, Use PS Forms 3615 

and 6805

To apply for a permit to use BRM, complete PS Form 

3615

Once you have your permit, you can give permission to 

your authorized representative to distribute and receive 

BRM pieces at other Post Offices using your permit 

number. For further information, see DMM 505.1

and 505.1.3 at https://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm300/50

htm#1_0

PS Form 6805, BRM/QBRM Application for ZIP+4 Code 

Assignment/Validation and QBRM Approval, needs to 

be filled out for any new BRM account. If you want to

use QBRM, you will also need to complete PS Form 

6805. PS Form 6805 is now dual-purpose:

(1) for obtaining the required unique ZIP+4 codes, 

whether they are used for BRM or QBRM, and 

(2) for use as the QBRM-approval form. For further

information, see DMM 505.1.1.3 to 505.1.2 and 5

at https://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm300/505.htm#1_0 (see 

Section II)
 State and Local Election Mail User’s Guide

© U.S. POSTAL SERVICE JANUARY 2020 13 PUBLICATION 632

Section VI. Working With a Mailpiece Design Analyst to Ensure Mailpiece Quality

Mailpiece design is one of the most critical components 

in determining your mailing costs. Properly designed

mail can allow you to receive automation price 

discounts

Consult With a Mailpiece Design Analyst Before 

Printing Your Envelopes

Most of your questions about mailpiece design can be 

answered by a Postal Service MDA

Consult with an MDA to discuss the design for the cover 

or envelope of every mailpiece you plan to mail (e.g.

postcards, envelopes, or larger mail such as manila 

envelopes, also known as flats). This service is free, and

it can save significant costs for your mailing operation 

and help prevent unforeseen delays in delivery

Provide at least 25 examples to the MDA for review, 

using new samples, or if none are available, materials 

from similar past mailings. The MDA will check to

see if they meet current Postal Service standards for 

automation (e.g., envelope dimensions, paper stock

and ink colors for readability) and general mailability

Ask the MDA to do the following:

¡ Help you design outgoing and return envelopes to 

meet automation-compatibility standards

¡ Review and assist with proper wording and 

placement of postal markings and endorsements 

on your envelopes

¡ Review the blueline or PDF file of your envelopes, 

postcards, and other mail before it is printed and 

provide recommendations for improvement

More Design Tips for Election Mailers

¡ Always consider using the Official Election Mail 

logo. The purpose of the Official Election Mail logo

is to alert all Postal Service employees that the 

mailpiece bearing the logo is either to or from an 

official voter registration organization or election 

official; therefore, appropriate handling should be 

provided

¡ Consider possible weight limitations. Printing

instructions and information on both sides of forms 

will reduce the amount of paper and overall weight 

of your mail, saving postage costs

¡ Contemplate different colors for different ballot 

types, districts, elections, parties, or inserts

Instead of colored envelopes, consider using 

colored bands that encircle only part of the 

envelopes, but are away from the delivery address

Discuss this with your MDA

¡ Some ink and paper colors will not work well on 

automated postal equipment. Discuss potential

colors with your MDA

¡ You must prepare balloting materials in accordance 

with DMM 703.8.0 at https://pe.usps.gov/tex

dmm300/703.htm#ep1174014

Design Resources

Other sources of information include:

¡ QSGs provide information covering design of 

letters, cards, flats, and various reply forms for 

automation compatibility, along with schematics

Find them at pe.usps.com.
 State and Local Election Mail User’s Guide

© U.S. POSTAL SERVICE JANUARY 2020 14 PUBLICATION 632

¡ Postal Explorer, provides resources you need to 

make informed decisions at pe.usps.com.

¡ PostalPro offers mailpiece design information at 

https://postalpro.usps.com/mailing/mailpiecedesign-analyst-mda-customer-service-help-desk.

¡ Publication 25, Designing Letter and Reply Mail is 

available at https://about.usps.com/publications/

pub25.pdf.

¡ Publication 28, Postal Addressing Standards is 

available at https://pe.usps.com/cpim/ftp/pubs/

Pub28/pub28.pdf.

¡ Publication 177, Guidelines for Optimizing 

Readability of Flat-Size Mail is available at https://

about.usps.com/publications/pub177.pdf.

¡ Publication 178, Recommendations for Designing 

Flat-Size Mail is available at https://about.usps.

com/publications/pub178/welcome.htm.

¡ Publication 631, Official Election Mail — Graphic 

Guidelines and Logos is available at https://about.

usps.com/publications/pub631.pdf.

¡ Election Officials’ Mailing Resources page is 

available at www.usps.com/electionmail.
 State and Local Election Mail User’s Guide

© U.S. POSTAL SERVICE JANUARY 2020 15 PUBLICATION 632

Section VlI. Preparing and Presenting the

Mailing

At Least 2 Weeks Before Election Day, Finalize 

Your Plans

¡ Let your Postal Service Election Mail team know 

if you want to pick up returning ballots at a Postal 

Service facility each day or have them delivered 

to your election office with your regular mail. If you

want to pick up your mail, coordinate with your 

Postal Service election mail coordinator to see if 

this can be arranged and determine the best time 

for pick up. This option will allow you to get the

election mail as early as possible. This is another

reason to consider using a Post Office box or caller 

service

¡ Let your Postal Service election mail coordinator 

know your cut-off time for receiving returned 

ballots. Arrange the latest time when an election

official may pick up last-minute returns

¡ Obtain pallets, trays, sacks, labels, tags, and 

stickers. If you use a mailing service, be sure

to verify that the service will be providing all the 

needed supplies or can obtain them for you

¡ Depending on what you are mailing, present one 

or more of the following forms to the Postal Service 

along with your mail:

− PS Form 3600, Postage Statement, series for 

First-Class Mail

− PS Form 3602, Postage Statement, series for 

USPS Marketing Mail (Regular or Nonprofit)

¡ These forms are available on the Postal Service’s 

website at https://about.usps.com/forms/all-forms.

htm
 State and Local Election Mail User’s Guide

© U.S. POSTAL SERVICE JANUARY 2020 16 PUBLICATION 632

Section VIll: Election Mail Checklist

This suggested checklist will help ensure a successful 

mailing

Step 1. Call your Postal Service Election Mail

Coordinator

See Section IV and link: 

https://about.usps.com/gov-services/election-mail/

£ Discuss the specific purpose for the mailing (e.g.

information, ballots, and voter registration)

£ Discuss when you intend to present the mail to the 

Postal Service

£ Discuss your delivery date requirements

£ Determine where and when the mailpieces must 

be presented to the Postal Service to meet your 

desired delivery dates

£ Discuss if this is a Uniformed and Overseas Citizens 

Absentee Voting Act-eligible mailing

£ Determine the volume of the mailings

£ Determine if the mailing must go as First-Class 

Mail. The Postal Service recommends the use of

First-Class Mail postage on all outbound absentee 

or Vote-By-Mail ballots

£ Determine if the mailing is eligible to go as USPS 

Marketing Mail-Nonprofit rates. Solicitations related

to personal information are allowed; however, 

solicitations not related to the personal information 

are not permitted

£ Determine the best method of receiving return mail 

(e.g., street delivery, PO Box, or caller servic

Caller service is a premium service available for a 

fee to any customer who: 

£ Requires more than free carrier service

£ Receives or plans to receive more mail than 

can be delivered to the largest available PO 

Box at the facility

£ Determine the best time to pick up the mail each 

day

£ Determine the latest time when an election official 

can pick up returns

£ Determine the final date for receiving marked return 

ballot mail

£ Determine the necessary postal equipment and 

supplies needed

£ Determine payment method

£ Determine what forms are needed for mail entry 

and postage payment

£ Determine if the mailing must meet address 

hygiene or Move Update requirements

£ Determine if the mailing needs to have an ASE 

(e.g., Return Service Requeste

£ Determine if the mailing needs any Extra Services 

(e.g., Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested, an

Registered Mail)

Step 2. Determine if the mailing needs to include a

reply piece (See Section II)

£ Decide if you plan to use BRM or CRM

£ Decide if it is cost effective to use QBRM

Step 3. Prepare your address list (See Section III

£ Decide who should receive the mailpieces

£ Compile your address list

£ Ensure proper address list hygiene

£ Validate physical address accuracy

£ Validate that you meet the Move Update standard, 

if applicable
 State and Local Election Mail User’s Guide

© U.S. POSTAL SERVICE JANUARY 2020 17 PUBLICATION 632

Step 4. File required forms for postage discounts

and other mailing services (if needed) (See 

Section V)

£ PS Form 3615, Mailing Permit Application and 

Customer Profile (for Permit Imprint and BRM 

permits) is available at https://about.usps.com/

forms/ps3615.pdf.

£ PS Form 3624, Application to Mail at Nonprofit 

USPS Marketing Mail Prices is available at 

https://about.usps.com/forms/ps3624.pdf.

£ PS Form 3623, Request for Confirmation of 

Authorization (or Pending Application) to Mail at 

Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail Prices is available 

at https://about.usps.com/forms/ps3623.pdf.

£ PS Form 1093, Application for Post Office 

Box Service is available at https://about.usps.com/

forms/ps1093.pdf.

£ PS Form 1093-C, Application for Post Office Caller 

Service is available at https://about.usps.com/

forms/ps1093c.pdf.

£ PS Form 6805, BRM/QBRM Application for ZIP+4 

Code Assignment/Validation and QBRM Approval

is available at https://about.usps.com/forms/

ps6805.pdf.

Step 5. Review mailpiece desig

The Postal Service recommends that election officials 

always have all ballot envelope designs that will be used 

reviewed by an MDA, this includes previous as well as 

new designs. Mailpiece review typically occurs within

48 hours of submission. Election officials have, in some

instances, made design decisions without consulting 

an MDA. Some uninformed decisions have resulted in

envelopes that are not automation compatible and/or 

returned to the voter

For assistance with mailpiece design, contact an MDA 

by calling the MDA Customer Service Help Desk at 

855-593-6093 (hours of operation are Monday–Friday, 

8 a.m.–5 p.m. Central Time, closed federal holidays)

by sending your request by email to MDA@usps.gov

Also, mailpiece design information is available online at 

https://postalpro.usps.com/mailing/mailpiece-designanalyst-mda-customer-service-help-desk

MDAs are trained to do the following:

£ Provide pre-mailing piece design consultation

£ Provide technical assistance to printers, graphic 

designers, and envelope manufacturers

£ Provide guidance on class of mail options based 

on: 

£ Delivery standards

£ Service levels

£ Postage prices

£ Presort requirements

£ Content requirements

£ Review mailpieces for adherence to Postal Service 

standards

£ Ensure that location of elections office/agency 

related text does not interfere with Postal 

Service regulations or processing

£ Test paper and mail samples for thickness, 

size, shape, weight, color, flexibility, and 

Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb) tolerances

£ Analyze readability of actual mailpieces

£ Provide assistance with mailpiece design 

evaluations of Election Mail

£ Verify:

£ ZIP+4

£ Official Election Mail logo size and 

placement

£ Endorsements

£ Before artwork is sent to printer, finalize design with 

MDA and submit pre-production proof
 State and Local Election Mail User’s Guide

© U.S. POSTAL SERVICE JANUARY 2020 18 PUBLICATION 632

Postal Service design recommendations.

The Postal Service highly recommends that local 

election officials use available Postal Service support 

resources such as election mail coordinators and MDAs 

that can help you with design elements

£ Use letter-size reply envelopes

£ The Postal Service recommends the use 

of letter-size reply envelopes. The use of

letter-size reply envelopes will increase the 

operational likelihood that the ballot receives a 

postmark

£ Consider appropriate colors, weight limitations, 

proper wording, placement of postal markings, etc

£ Use pastel colors (adhere to Postal Service 

guidance on appropriate colors to use)

£ Local election offices should standardize use 

of envelopes by color for each election type 

(e.g., primary/general/special/schoo

£ First-Class Mail “Best Practices” 

£ The Postal Service recommends that election 

officials use First-Class Mail rather than USPS 

Marketing Mail when selecting a level of 

service for outbound absentee or Vote-ByMail ballots. Most First-Class Mail is delivered

within 2–5 days. Most USPS Marketing Mail is

delivered within 3–10 days

£ Use USPS-approved practices to maximize 

postage discounts for First-Class Mail (e.

presort First-Class Mail)

£ Create an Informed Delivery campaign to 

enhance and extend the voter’s experience 

with the election mailpiece

£ Include custom images, known as 

representative and “ride-along” images, 

and a target URL that directs the user to 

a digital experience

Postal Service DMM requirements.

£ The Postal Service requires that the balloting 

materials for any election, whether disseminated 

in hardcopy or electronically, must indicate in a 

prominent location the proper amount of First-Class 

Mail postage that must be paid. This information

must be included in the balloting materials

£ Alternatively, the marking “Apply First-Class 

Mail postage here” may be printed in the 

upper-right corner of the address side of 

the envelope used by the voter to return the 

marked ballot to election officials. The Postal

Service will also accept approved variations of 

the described above markings

£ Additionally, balloting materials must indicate, 

in a prominent location, the specific amount of 

First-Class Mail postage required for the return 

of the marked ballot to election officials

£ The marking requirements may not apply to 

balloting materials that are qualified under the 

special exemptions specified by USPS (see 

DMM 703.8.0 at https://pe.usps.gov/text/

dmm300/703.htm#ep1174014)

£ For the design of reply envelopes do as follows:

£ Use the Official Election Mail logo on all Official 

Election Mail because:

£ Voters recognize the mail as important

£ Postal Service workers can distinguish 

the mailpiece from the thousands of other 

mailpieces processed daily

£ Use IMb to increase the electronic visibility of 

the absentee ballot in the mailstream to assist 

in the proper processing and timely delivery of 

voted ballots

£ Ensure that the IMb includes the proper 

Ballot Mail Service Type Identifier. The threedigit codes are listed on PostalPro: https:/

postalpro.usps.com/service-type-identifiers/

STID_Table_BallotMail

£ Use Informed Visibility Mail Tracking and 

Reporting, a service which provides:

£ Near real-time mail tracking data for letter 

and flat pieces, bundles, handling units 

(trays, tubs, and sacks), and containers 

as mail moves through the mailstream, 

enabling you to better plan Election Mail 

resources

£ Flexible data provisioning and data 

delegation, allowing you to receive the 

data you want, when you want it, and 

how you want it
 State and Local Election Mail User’s Guide

© U.S. POSTAL SERVICE JANUARY 2020 19 PUBLICATION 632

Step 6. Prevent late ballots with essential voter

communication

£ Election officials should consider adding a voter 

notification about the marked return ballot deadline 

in with the ballot packet. Marked return ballot

deadlines are determined by state and local laws

£ For domestic nonmilitary voters, the Postal 

Service recommends that voters mail their 

marked return ballots at least 1 week before 

the due date to account for any unforeseen 

events or weather issues

£ For APO/FPO the Military Postal Service 

Agency recommends that military personnel 

serving overseas follow the return-by-mail date 

for their location published at https://usps.

com/electionmail/

£ Voters returning their ballots via a Postal 

Service retail location may ask window clerks 

to roundstamp/hand cancel the postage. The

roundstamp contains the date that the mail is 

accepted at an USPS office

Step 7. Prepare and present the mailing (See

Section VII)

£ Print mailing in time for preparation and delivery to 

the Post Office facility

£ Obtain postal supplies and equipment (e.g., trays

sacks, labels, stickers, and tags)

£ Prepare mailing for delivery to the Post Office

£ If applicable, obtain and complete postage 

statements to be presented with the mailing:

£ If using First-Class Mail, use one or more 

forms in the 3600 series

£ If using USPS Marketing Mail, use one or more 

forms in the 3602 series

£ Affix Tag 191 on all trays and sacks with mailings 

of ballots. This bright green tag provides a high

degree of visibility on ballot mail as it enters Postal 

Service processing centers

£ To obtain Tag 191, election officials should 

contact their Business Mail Entry Unit which 

can be found at https://postalpro.usps.com/

locators/find-bme

£ Or visit https://about.usps.com/gov-services/

election-mail/ to order Tag 191 online

NOTE: Tag 191 can ONLY be applied to ballot mail, 

such as Vote-By-Mail ballots or absentee ballots

£ Present mailing, postage statement, and, if 

necessary, check (payment) for funding postage 

account

Note: The following are amongst the many trademarks of the 

United States Postal Service®: ACSTM, AEC II®, Business 

Reply Mail®, CASSTM, Certified Mail®, Courtesy Reply 

MailTM, DMM®, DPV®, First-Class Mail®, IMM®, NCOALINK®, 

Official Election Mail logo®, PO BoxTM, Post OfficeTM, Postal 

Explorer®, Postal ServiceTM, Priority Mail Express®, Qualified 

Business Reply MailTM, QBRMTM, Registered MailTM, USPS

com®, USPS®, USPS Eagle logo, USPS Marketing Mail®, ZIP 

CodeTM, ZIP+4®
© U.S. POSTAL SERVIC  JANUARY 20