The primaries for Gwinnett County elections are only a month away, so if you haven't yet registered to vote, you'd better get to it. You've only got a few days to make that happen.

Here are some questions and answers with important dates and details for Gwinnett County voters.

Q: What sort of ID do I need at the polling place?

A: A photo ID, which can be a Georgia driver's license, even if expired; a valid photo ID card issued by the state or federal government or the Department of Driver Services or your county registrar's office; a valid U.S. passport; a valid employee photo ID card from any "branch, department, entity or agency of the U.S. government, Georgia or any county, municipality, board, authority or other entity of this state" and a valid U.S. military photo ID; a valid tribal photo ID.

Q: How do I find out where I'm supposed to vote?

A: Go to the Gwinnett County Web site (www .gwinnettcounty.com) under Departments. The first link under the Department of Community Affairs will take you to the elections site. The main page is full of info about the upcoming primary and general election, including a polling place locator.

Q: When's the last day I can register?

A: June 16, if you want to vote in the July 15 primary and Aug. 5 runoff. For the Nov. 4 general election, and Dec. 2 runoff, your deadline is Oct. 6. You can register at the county's elections office — 455 Grayson Highway, Suite 200, in Lawrenceville — or at your local library or City Hall.

Q: What is the county's hottest race?

A: The race for County Commission chairman is at the top of the list. Incumbent Charles Bannister is being challenged by Commissioner Lorraine Green and Glenn Pirkle, an electrical contractor from Buford.

Q: What are these ballot questions?

A: The Republican and Democratic parties in Gwinnett have come up with separate lists of questions for voters on a range of topics, from MARTA funding and taxes to the Iraq war and education. They are nonbinding and designed to gauge what voters are thinking.

Q: What if I want to vote early or file an absentee ballot?

A: You can find the required forms for early and absentee voting at the Elections Web site. You can fill the required form out online, but you need to print it out, sign it and mail it to:

Gwinnett County Voter Registration and Elections Division

Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center

75 Langley Drive

Lawrenceville, GA 30045-6935

Your forms must reach the county elections office by July 11. Faxed copies are not accepted.

Q: Were there any significant hiccups in Gwinnett's last election?

A: Unprecedented volume took down the county's Web site for most of the day during the Feb. 5 primaries — which attracted between 46 percent and 48 percent of all registered voters, a county record. IT staffers got the Web site back up by late afternoon. What made it worse, said Lynn Ledford, the county's supervisor of elections, was that many voters waited until the last minute to find out whether they were registered, and many were not. "Voters do not understand that if they register and do not vote or have written contact within a three-year period, they move to an inactive status," Ledford said by e-mail. "Then if they do not vote through the next two federal elections, they are deleted."

Voter confusion about where to vote was another common complaint. The county has since put a detailed explainer on its Web site to help voters make sense of a voter registration card, showing where it says where they vote and for which kinds of elections.

Q: What are some more hot races in the county?

A: Three candidates are fighting for County Commissioner Lorraine Green's District 1 seat: former Suwanee City Council member Carol Hassel, longtime Duluth Mayor Shirley Lasseter and Duluth businessman Bruce LeVell. In District 3, Commissioner Mike Beaudreau faces Doug Stacks, planning and economic development director for the city of Lilburn. Incumbent state Rep. Pedro "Pete" Marin of Duluth, a Democrat, faces Torry Lewis in the primary. Whoever wins will face Keith Shewbert of Norcross, a Republican, in November.

Q: What's the deal with these TADs anyway?

A: Tax allocation districts are better known by the acronym TAD. If you live in Gwinnett, you'll see those three letters twice this year at the ballot box: In July, it's about TAD on the county level; in November, it's about TAD on a state level. A TAD is a tool that allows governments to earmark future taxes for redevelopment activities in areas that need help. It's not an additional tax on residents.

In July, Gwinnett County is asking voters to give it the power to create TADs in unincorporated areas of the county.

Last fall, nine cities approved a similar measure for leaders of those cities.

The most famous example in the metro area is Atlantic Station, a former steel mill site that needed massive infrastructure work before it could be developed into a mixed-use mecca.

In Gwinnett, civic leaders hope the OFS site off Jimmy Carter Boulevard can get the same kind of renewal.

In November, a ballot referendum will ask voters to amend the state constitution to allow school district funds to be used for TADs. In February, the state's Supreme Court ruled that was unconstitutional. Critics oppose using any public money to benefit any private development. Proponents counter that TADs are the most effective way to foster redevelopment, which benefits all residents.

Q: How do I find out whether there are any forums for candidates?

A: Check the Web sites of the political parties listed below. J. Gregory Howard, chairman of the Gwinnett County Republican Party, says he posts all the forums and candidate events he hears about, either on the Web site or in the newsletter.

Q: What if there's a runoff?

A: If there's one for the primary, it will be held Aug. 5. For the general election, the runoff date is Dec. 2.

Q: Any links that would be helpful?

A: Gwinnett County's elections Web site has a long list of helpful links to government sites, political parties and general interest sites. Here's a sampling:

• www.dnet.org — the League of Women Voters

• www.vote-smart.org — Project Vote Smart

• www.gwinnettgop.org — Gwinnett County Republican Party

• www.gwinnettdemocrats .com — Gwinnett County Democratic Party

• www.democrats.org — Democratic Party

• www.rnc.org — National Republican Party

• www.reformparty.org — Reform Party