As the August election approaches, local election officials have seen an increase in the number of residents registering to vote, which could translate into higher voter turnout at the polls.

Tuesday marked the final day that residents could register to vote and be eligible to vote in the August 2 election.

Carter County Administrator of Elections Tracy Harris said she and her staff had seen a sharp uptick in registrations in the past few weeks.

“It has been a large increase in registrations, especially for a state primary,” Harris said. “I think the governor’s race has a lot to do with it.”

The August 2 election will serve as a party Primary Election for both state and federal offices, as well as the county’s General Election.

Harris attributed part of the rise in registrations to the state’s new online voter registration system. Through the state’s voter registration website www.GoVoteTN.com residents with a driver’s license or photo identification card issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security can register to vote online.

“We had 90 some come through online voter registration on Friday,” Harris said, adding they received around 60 online registrations the day before.

In addition to the voter registrations being processed online, Harris said she and her staff have been receiving traditional paper registration forms as well.

With an influx of newly registered voters showing an interest in the upcoming election, Harris said she hopes to see a high voter turnout on August 2. During the May County Primary Election, just over 29 percent of the county’s registered voters participated in the election. The last County General Election was held in August 2014, and during that election, just over 45 percent of the county’s eligible voters turned out to cast ballots.

While Tuesday marked the last day for new registrations, Harris said voters who are already registered in Tennessee but need to update their information can still do so. Changes to a voter’s address or a name change can be completed up until the day before the election, according to Harris.

Those changes can be completed by either visiting the Carter County Election Commission office or by going online to www.GoVoteTN.com.

Harris asks those who need to update their information to not wait until the last minute to ensure they get to vote at the proper precinct and for the appropriate district.

“We will close at noon the day before the election to go to the precincts to make sure everything is in order,” Harris said.

Voters who are not sure if their information is up to date can contact the Carter County Election Commission at 423-542-1822 or stop by their office at 116 Holston Avenue. Voters can also check their registration status at www.GoVoteTN.com.