CHARLESTON — Early voting is proceeding at a good pace across the state and locally, officials said.

Secretary of State Mac Warner said he is pleased with the implementation of the new Voter Identification Law in West Virginia where forms of identification need to be presented to vote. The new statute went into effect on Jan. 1. The May 8 primary election is the first major statewide election to comply with the new law.

“With nearly 7,000 citizens voting early on the first day of primary election, our office has not been made aware of a single issue or concern regarding voter identification at the polls,” Warner said.

Early voting for the May 8 primary election began on Wednesday and will continue until May 5. Early voting is not offered on Sundays.

Wood County Clerk Mark Rhodes said voter turnout was steady Wednesday and Thursday.

There were 260 voters who came to vote on Wednesday and 170 had voted by 1 p.m. on Thursday.

“It has been on average with what we see during the mid-term elections,” Rhodes said.

During a presidential election year, the county has seen 800-1,000 voters a day during early voting.

Registered voters are permitted to vote early. All 55 county clerks are offering early voting.

Voters are encouraged to contact their county clerk for more information on early voting polling locations. Some counties offer satellite voting locations other than in the courthouse.

Warner asked citizens to immediately report election fraud by calling 1-877-FRAUD-WV.