DeKalb County residents must register to vote soon if they want to vote in the April 5 elections.

March 8 is the deadline to register for the election, said Eileen Dubin, DeKalb County Democrats chair.

DeKalb County residents are required to have two separate forms of identification when they register to vote, Dubin said.

“A driver’s license with a photo and a piece of mail with a local address are two of the acceptable forms of identification,” she said.

To be eligible to register, a person must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years of age as of April 5 and reside in the precinct for 30 days prior to the election, DeKalb City Clerk Donna Johnson said.

Eligible voters may register at the DeKalb Municipal Building and the Secretary of State Driver’s License Facility, said Lynne Kumde, DeKalb Deputy County Clerk.

Public libraries and Republican or Democratic party representatives can also register residents to vote, Kumde said.

If a registered voter has recently moved to DeKalb County, he or she must re-register by filling out the back of the voter registration card and sending it to the county clerk’s office, Kumde said.

Absentee voting can take place by mail or in person at the DeKalb County Clerk’s office.

“Requests for absentee voting by mail can be filed 30 days prior to the election but not less than five days (before),” Kumde said.

For ballots to be counted, they must be returned to the county clerk’s office before 7 p.m. on Election Day, Kumde said.

Registered voters expecting to be absent from the county that day may vote in person at the County Clerk’s office during normal business hours from March 8 to April 4, Kumde said.

For more information, visit the DeKalb County Web site at www.dekalbcounty.org or call the county clerks office at 895-7174.