ST. PAUL — Minnesota election officials have accepted more than 125,000 absentee ballots, a drastic increase from this point in the last midterm election.

The secretary of state’s office Thursday released figures showing a 61 percent increase in absentee voting from the same point in 2010. The state accepted 56,000 ballots in the last week alone.

Candidates and parties have pushed voters to use the state’s new, no-excuse absentee voting law. Nearly 200,000 Minnesotans had requested ballots as of Thursday, but it’s unclear how that will affect turnout overall — regular voters may be voting early just to skip the polling place on Nov. 4.

The last day to cast an absentee ballot is Nov. 3.