COLUMBUS, Ohio (WOWO): Don’t be surprised if election results in Ohio shift after November 3rd… but also don’t be alarmed.

That’s the message from Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who told Fox News Monday night he wants to make it clear that any shift in voting tallies after Election Day should not be taken as an indication of wrongdoing.

Officials in the key election battleground state are preparing for an unprecedented surge in mail-in ballots; more than two-million Ohio residents requested mail-in ballot applications for this year’s election. That’s more than double the amount for the 2016 and 2012 elections.

“When the results on election night say one thing and then when the results change over the ensuing several weeks, that’s not a sign that something nefarious is happening. In fact, quite the contrary,” LaRose told Fox News. “It’s a sign that the legal process is being allowed to play itself out so that every legally cast vote can be tabulated. That’s exactly what we need to do.”

If the vote is close, LaRose says it could take “weeks” to know the final results.