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Election Guide to the presidential primaries
What you need to know before you go to the polls Feb. 5
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We'll go to the polls at least three times in 2008, to elect everybody from a new president to the county surveyor. Our 2008 Election Guide gives you all the information you need to be prepared.

Georgia's Presidential Preference Primary

What's happening: On Tuesday, Feb. 5, Georgia joins 20 other states in holding Presidential Preferences Primaries. The day, dubbed "Super Tuesday," will go a long way toward deciding each party's candidate for president in November.

On election day: In Georgia, voters must select either a Democratic or Republican ballot. On each party's ballot, the candidates will be listed in alphabetical order. (In the Republican primary, Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., will appear on the ballot, even though he has ended his presidential bid.)

Registration deadline: Jan. 7, 2008. If you are not yet registered, you cannot vote in the primary.

Where can I register?: To register for the state primary for fall general election, visit various locations, including the Hall County Elections Office, 2285 Browns Bridge Road, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Other registration locations include all branches of the Hall County Public Library, during regular hours. Registration is available online through the Georgia Secretary of State's Web site, or through the Hall County elections office Web site.

Absentee ballots: Registered voters can already apply for an absentee ballot through their county election office.

Key dates in the 2008 election
Jan. 3: Iowa caucuses
Jan. 5: Wyoming Republican caucuses
Jan. 7: Voter registration deadline for Georgia presidential primary
Jan. 8: New Hampshire primary
Jan. 15: Michigan primary
Jan. 19: South Carolina Republican primary
Jan. 19: Nevada Democratic caucuses
Jan. 26: South Carolina Democratic primary
Jan. 28-Feb. 1: Early voting period for Presidential Preference Primary in Georgia
Jan. 29: Florida primary
Feb. 5: Super Tuesday, Georgia presidential primary; also primaries and caucuses in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho (Democratic caucus), Illinois, Kansas (Democratic primary), Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah and West Virginia (Republican primary.)
Feb. 9: Louisiana primary, Nebraska (Democratic), Kansas (GOP) and Washington caucuses
Feb. 10: Maine Democratic caucuses
Feb. 12: District of Columbia caucuses, Maryland, Virginia primaries
Feb. 19: Hawaii Democratic caucuses, Wisconsin primary
March 4: Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas and Vermont primaries
June 16: Deadline to register for state primary
July 15: State primary (all local races, state legislature, U.S. Congress, U.S. Senate)
Aug. 5: State primary runoff, if needed
Aug. 25-28: Democratic National Convention, Denver
Sept. 1-4: Republican National Convention, Minneapolis
Oct. 6: Deadline to register for general election
Oct. 27: Start of early voting period
Nov. 4: Election Day
Dec. 2: State runoff election, if needed
Jan. 20, 2009: Nation’s 44th president inaugurated in Washington, D.C