As the County Primary Election approaches, residents have just a few more days to register to vote if they have not done so previously.

According to Carter County Administrator of Elections Tracy Harris, the deadline for new voter registration before the Primary Election is 4:30 p.m. on Monday, April 2. Voter registration forms being returned by mail must be postmarked no later than April 2, Harris added.

Voter registration forms can be picked up at the Carter County Election Commission Office, located at 116 Holston Ave. Forms are also available at the Carter County Clerk’s Office, the Elizabethton/Carter County Public Library, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Safety Office.

“They also have the option to go online now to register,” Harris said.

In September, Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett announced the official launch of the state’s new online voter registration system.

Harris said the online voter registration system provides a convenient way for citizens to register to vote or to update their registration information, such as making an address or name change.

The new system will allow a citizen with a driver’s license or photo identification issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security to register to vote online. Each submission through the registration website is checked against the Department’s database while securely obtaining the electronic signature already on file with the state from their license or identification card.

Since the system went live in September, Harris said her office had received nearly 200 new voter registrations which were completed online.

As an election approaches, Harris said she and her staff see an increase in the number of residents registering to vote for the first time or updating their information. This year, the number of new voters registering has been about average for a county election year, Harris said.

Harris said residents also find a voter registration form, as well as a sample ballot, online by visiting the Carter County Election Commission’s website www.cartercountytn.gov/election.

Tech-savvy voters can also utilize the state’s smartphone voting app GoVoteTN to update their voter registration, finding their polling location, or check out a sample ballot. The app is free and available for both iPhone and Android operating systems.

For more information on Tennessee’s new online voter registration, to register to vote, or to check the status of your voter registration, visit the state website at www.GoVoteTN.com.