NOTE: This article is part of a continuing series on politics and elections.

If you are 17, and will be 18 before the next election, you are eligible to vote in this year’s Democratic or Republican Primary. A fast and easy way to register to vote is by going online to https://voterregistration.ct.gov/OLVR/registerDetails.do and filling out the forms on the site. You need a valid CT license, permit, or other photo ID issued by the DMV. You can use the site to register to vote, change your address, register for a political party, etc.Once you fill out the forms, you will not be a voter until you receive a confirmation in the mail, because the Registrar of Voters has to approve it.

Online registration is much easier for people because they can register from the comfort of their own home. Senior Alice Hanson said,  “If you have all of your valid information and know your social security number, it should only take about five minutes.”  

There are also voter registration apps on Google Play and the iTunes store. You must submit your registration five days before the primary and a week before the presidential election, at the latest.

Another way you can register is by going to the Town Hall and talking to the Registrar of voters. For the Republican party, it is Patti Waters, and for Democrats it is Julie Watson Jones. They are available from 9:30 to 11:30 AM Monday through Friday. Their job is to assist people in the voting process and get them registered to vote.

In Connecticut, the primary is on April 26th, and the presidential election is on November 8 2016. You must register to vote online in the primary before April 21st. You must register for the presidential election before November 1, 2016.