With mail-in voting expected to reach an all-time high this election, officials are urging people to ensure they do it correctly.

The instructions that come with the ballots clearly indicate how to perform the voting, according to a local elections official.

“People must read those instructions before mailing them out,” Lycoming County Voter Services Director Forrest Lehman said.

Lehman said, as of last week, total registration for the county is way up — as expected for a presidential election — at more than 71,000. That figure is nearly as high as in the presidential election year of 2008 when about 72,000 people registered to vote.

Many of the registered voters this time around include high numbers of mail-in and absentee voters.

Lehman said a privacy envelope for mail-in voting must be used to send the ballot.

“Also, they must sign their voter declaration on the back of the return envelope,” he said.

Lehman said he doesn’t anticipate drop-in boxes for mailing ballots being used this election.

“There has been litigation over those,” he said.

He noted that people can choose to hand-deliver their ballots to the Voter Registration office.

High among concerns for voters choosing to vote by mail, Lehman acknowledged, was the question of when they would receive their ballots.

However, he noted the mailings are now well under way and will continue.

“Those who haven’t gotten them should be patient,” he said.

Lehman said his office has been inundated with phone calls in recent weeks.

At least two extra personnel have been brought on board in the Voter Registration’s office to help with the crush of the election.

Lehman said the county has been fortunate to find personnel to work at polls.

“We are actually in fairly good shape,” he said.

A few polling places have changed for the election.

People who live in Precinct 2 of Loyalsock Township wlll now vote at the STEP Loyalsock Center for Healthy Aging in the Loyalsock Community Recreation Center, 1607 Four Mile Drive.

In Lycoming Township, voters will cast ballots at Fairlawn Community Church, 353 Pleasant Hill Road.

Lehman noted that the city of Willamsport shrunk to 13 from 17 wards starting with the spring primary.

Ward lines and polling places throughout the city have been affected.

The new sites are:

Ward 1 Third Street United Methodist Church, 931 E Third St

Ward 2 Lycoming College Recreation Center, 508 Mulberry St

Ward 3 William Hepburn Apartments, 400 Lycoming St

Ward 4 Monsignor Fleming Parish Center, 720 W Fourth St

Ward 5 West End Christian Community Center, 901 Diamond St

Ward 6 West End Christian Community Center, 901 Diamond St

Ward 7 Lycoming Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, 825 Arch St

Ward 8 St Paul Cavalry United Methodist Church, 1427 Memorial Ave

Ward 9 Central Baptist Church, 601 7th Ave

Ward 10 Peter Herdic High Rise, 505 Center St

Ward 11 Ohev Sholom Synagogue, 1501 Cherry St

Ward 12 First United Methodist Church (North Campus), 1157 Market St

Ward 13 First Church of Christ, 1250 Almond St

Voters in Cogan Township will see a referendum question on their ballots.

The question is: Do you favor the granting of liquor licenses for the sale of liquor in the township of Cogan?

A business in the township is looking to secure a license for the purpose of selling alcohol.

There are more than 71,000 peoiple in the county registered to vote, according to township officials.

The last day to register to vote was Monday.

People with questions about voting may visit www.lyco.org/vote.