CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner said Tuesday that 14% of registered voters have already cast absentee ballots for the coming primary elections.

Warner said more than a fifth of all voters in the state have requested an absentee ballot and that 171,722 ballots have been cast.

Election officials have sent all registered voters absentee ballot applications to cut down on the number of people at the polls during the coronavirus pandemic. The primary election is on June 9.

Warner has said fewer than 3% of voters used absentee ballots in previous elections.