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Early voting in the May 21 primary elections will start before the end of the month and residents have less than two weeks to be sure they are registered.  In Chattooga County, voters will be choosing between four candidates for Chattooga County Coroner and between two candidates for Chattooga County Sole Commissioner. 

All local races are on the Republican ballot.  Georgia is an open-primary state which means that voters do not register to vote by party and can choose the ballot they wish to vote on.  Also on the Republican ballot, voters in Chattooga County and the rest of the 53rd District will be choosing between two candidates for State Senator: Incumbent Colton Moore and challenger Angela Pence.  The 53rd District covers all of Dade, Walker, Catoosa and Chattooga Counties and the Armuchee area in Floyd County.

Also, there is a nonpartisan race between Melissa Hise and Ann Fidler to replace Lookout Mountain Superior Court Judge Kristina Cook Graham.  Judge Graham announced her retirement earlier this year. The nonpartisan race will appear on both the Democratic and Republican ballots.  Voters in Walker, Dade, Catoosa and Chattooga Counties will be voting in that race.

April 22 is the last day to register to vote in the primary and nonpartisan elections. Early voting starts April 29, and absentee ballots may be requested now through May 10.

To register, you must be a U.S. citizen and a legal resident of the county in which you wish to vote. People who are at least 17½ years of age may register now if they will be at least 18 when they vote. Visit the Georgia secretary of state’s My Voter Page online to check your status, update it, register or request an absentee ballot.