It’s the last call for absentee ballots.

Registered voters are urged to contact the Lucas County Board of Elections at 419-213-4001 or via email, ataliga@co.lucas.oh.us immediately if a ballot or replacement ballot is needed.

Gina Kaczala, Lucas County board of elections director, told The Blade Wednesday voters actually have until noon Saturday to get an absentee ballot. All must have a Nov. 7 or earlier postmark and must be returned within 10 days of the election to be counted, she said.

For those who’ve requested but are still waiting for absentee ballots to be mailed to them, the Board of Elections is in constant contact with the U.S. Postal Service and has been assured by postal officials they are doing all they can to accommodate voters, Ms. Kaczala said.

She said Joshua Hughes, Lucas County Democratic Party chairman, was partially right when he said at a news conference late Wednesday afternoon that the elections board has made arrangements to have last-minute replacement ballots processed and distributed by the U.S. Postal Service facility on St. Clair Street in Toledo instead of the Michigan Metroplex Processing and Distribution Center in Pontiac, Mich.

Her caveat, however, was that the Postal Service can only do that to a certain extent. While the Postal Service employees are attempting to keep ballots with local zip codes in this area, some might slip through and will be processed in Pontiac, anyway, Ms. Kaczala said.

But she added the Postal Service now is on the lookout for them and will give them highest priority.

She said Mr. Hughes was incorrect to say the local elections board will send last-minute ballots out with overnight delivery, however.

She said it is mandated by the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office to send them out in normal first-class mail.

Of the 375 Lucas County ballots sent out Oct. 12 that remained at large earlier this week, some have now gotten to their intended destination, Ms. Kaczala said. She did not cite a number.

“We are seeing some movement,” she said.

First Published November 3, 2016, 4:00 a.m.