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(AP) -- Illinois officials say a delay in mailing ballots to overseas military personnel should affect fewer than 2,900 people.

The State Board of Elections said Friday that nearly one-third of Illinois election authorities were late in mailing some ballots to soldiers, sailors and other overseas voters. But the actual number of ballots involved is relatively small.

Voters requested about 16,600 ballots and all but 2,898 went out by the Sept. 18 mailing deadline. Even more have gone out since then.

A delay in sending the ballots out might mean voters don't have enough time to fill them out and mail them back. The ballots must be postmarked Nov. 1 to count in the election.

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