Mail ballot rejections increased in Washington and Oregon following the United States Postal Service changed the rules for postmarking.

The new rule resulted in additional ballots being discounted because of postmarks deemed late.

Lawmakers said that, in several Washington counties, the number of rejected ballots more than doubled following the change.

The surge occurred because of the Postal Service's change to the way it postmarks mail, with consequences for voters who mailed ballots on or before the deadline.