Oct. 31 is the last day to request a mail-in ballot for the general election which is now one week from today.

Tonia Fernandez, the director of elections, said close to 23,000 mail-in ballots have been issued, but less than 15,000 have been returned.

Fernandez said the staff is looking to get ballots in the mail on Tuesday or early Wednesday.

For anyone requesting a mail-in ballot online, Fernandez recommends people use their driver’s license number so the signature can be used to sign the document.

“We’re getting in kind of a crunch right now to mail your ballot out and have us receive it before 8 p.m. on Nov. 7, so I would suggest using the drop box located out front of the county courthouse. We do have free 15-minute parking available,” said Tonia Fernandez, director of elections, Erie County Election Office.

Fernandez said this year the mail-in ballots that are opened and counted throughout the day will be reported after 8 p.m.