Collin County cities, school boards face May 2 local elections

Celina’s boom, Frisco’s at-large council races and Princeton’s special election will put growth, taxes and city services in front of voters as early voting begins April 20. In Collin County, the May 2 cycle also falls under the county’s Uniform Election schedule, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.

The voter-registration deadline was April 2, and April 20 is the first day to apply for a ballot by mail. Collin County uses vote centers, so registered voters can cast a ballot at any county voting center. In Frisco, which spans Collin and Denton counties, election administration runs through both counties, so where a voter lives can shape where that ballot is handled.

Celina has one of the most consequential local ballots. Voters there will choose a mayor and two council members, for Place 4 and Place 5. The city says candidate packets were available Jan. 5, filing opened Jan. 14 and closed Feb. 13 at 5 p.m. Celina’s website puts its population at 64,726 as of Jan. 1, 2025, a reminder of how fast the city has grown and why council decisions on land use, infrastructure and municipal spending carry immediate weight. Early voting in Celina runs April 20-28, with Election Day on May 2.

Frisco voters will decide the mayor’s race and City Council Places 5 and 6. The city elects its mayor and six council members at-large, so every voter in the city helps choose the officials who set citywide policy. The official candidate list names John Keating, Shona Sowell, Rod Vilhauer and Mark Hill for mayor, and Brittany Colberg, Sai Krishnarajanagar, Matt Chalmers and Jerry Spencer for Place 6. Frisco’s ballot drawing was held Feb. 19.

Princeton’s May 2 contest is a special election to fill the unexpired term for City Council Seat 4. The city ordered the election by ordinance on Feb. 9, and the filing period ran from Feb. 10 through March 2. Because this is a vacancy race rather than a routine cycle, the seat carries a shorter timetable and a more immediate result for voters who want representation on the council.

School boards are on the ballot too, and they matter just as directly. Celina ISD says its seven-member Board of Trustees is the district’s policy-making body, which puts trustee races at the center of school decisions. Frisco ISD says its board members are elected at-large to three-year terms. Princeton Independent School District also keeps its trustees in public view, with board meetings open at the district board room at 804 Mable Ave. For Collin County voters, May 2 is not a distant civic ritual. It is a day that will shape who steers growth, schools and city halls in some of the county’s fastest-changing places.