Register to vote for presidential election

Here’s plenty of warning if you want to vote in next year’s presidential election: Georgia’s new 2016 elections calendar gives you until Feb. 1 to register ahead of the crucial March 1 primary.

The Georgia Secretary of State’s office has also set key statewide and local dates for next year including candidate filing deadlines and runoff elections as needed.

Among Georgia’s key 2016 dates to remember:

Presidential primary election: Feb. 1 (voter registration deadline); Feb. 8 (early voting begins); March 1 (election date); and March 28 (runoff date if needed).

State and local primary election: April 26 (voter registration deadline); May 2 (early voting begins); May 24 (election); and July 26 (runoff date if needed).

General Election (federal, state and local): Oct. 11 (voter registration deadline); Oct. 17 (early voting begins); Nov. 8 (Election Day); Dec. 6 (runoff date for local and state offices); and Jan. 10, 2017 (runoff date for federal offices)

North Fulton residents participate in early voting on the first day the procedure is available at the North Fulton Annex in Atlanta on Oct. 13, 2014. David Tulis / AJC Special

Presidential candidates have already set their sights on Georgia and other Southern states participating in the so-called SEC Primary — a college athletics-themed primary on March 1 that was first proposed by Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp. Other states participating include Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.