Carbon County’s election bureau is seeing an increase in the number of mail-in and absentee ballot applications, county officials report.

On Thursday, Commissioner Chris Lukasevich said that there were currently 1,438 absentee and mail-in applications that had been received in the elections bureau for the upcoming primary election. The primary was postponed to June 2 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“That’s about 10 percent of the individuals who would vote in the primary,” Lukasevich said, noting that in 2016, 13,000 voters cast votes in the primary election. “I expect that number to continue to go up.”

Lisa Dart, director of elections, said earlier this week that the number of absentee ballots issued in 2016 for this election was only 1,033.

She pointed out that her office has been receiving between 20 and 350 applications for absentee and mail-in ballots daily, either through mail or the online application through VotesPA.com.

She reminds voters that the last day to apply for mail-in and absentee ballots is 5 p.m. May 26.

Deadline to register to vote in the upcoming election is May 18.

Information on mail-in and absentee ballot applications, as well as any other pertinent information regarding elections, visit www.votespa.com/ReadyToVote.