PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — State elections officials are urging absentee voters to send in their mail ballots soon.

The Board of Elections strongly recommends that ballots be mailed by Friday to ensure delivery by the deadline, 8 p.m. Tuesday.

The board says it’s making the recommendation because ballots sent through first-class mail may take longer to be delivered than in past elections.

A postal service spokeswoman told the Providence Journal that delivery standards were changed two or three years ago. It can take two business days to send mail within Rhode Island.

The postal service has said ballots should be mailed no later than Saturday.

The newspaper reports that the elections board has received about 18,000 mail ballots so far.

Voters can bring their ballot to the elections office on Branch Avenue in Providence.