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JUNEAU, Alaska — <\/span>Seventy-five absentee in-person ballots cast by voters in rural western Alaska communities arrived too late to be counted in last month’s primary election, officials said.<\/p>\n The Alaska Division of Elections blamed a \u201cmail delivery delay\u201d that affected voters in seven communities, with Kotzebue, Igiugig and Naknek combining for 62 of the ballots. But a spokesperson did not provide more details on the nature of the delay. Absentee in-person ballots are sent to regional offices \u2014 in this case, Nome \u2014 for review.<\/p>\n The division’s announcement this week came after officials in the vote-by-mail states of Washington and Oregon<\/a> said the number of ballots rejected for late postmarks was up sharply this year. The U.S. Postal Service<\/a> last year finalized a rule stating that postmarks don\u2019t necessarily reflect the date the agency first took possession of a piece of mail, but rather the day it was handled in an agency processing center. On Thursday, the postmaster general, David Steiner, encouraged by-mail voters<\/a> in this year’s midterm elections to vote early.<\/p>\n In response to questions about the Alaska ballots, Nikolaj Hagen, a Postal Service spokesperson, said \u201cany number of factors\u201d can affect the timeliness of mail delivery. Employees take their roles seriously, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWithout a review of the actual mailpieces involved, the Postal Service is unable to comment further,\u201d he said in a statement. \u201cWe will continue to work closely with Alaska election officials to identify opportunities for communication and coordination where needed.\u201d<\/p>\n The state accepts absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day and sent from within the U.S. up to 10 days after elections. But that grace period isn’t always enough. In 2022, for example, ballots from some villages weren’t fully counted due to mail delays. <\/p>\n