Collin County GOP Primary March 3: Early Voting, Hand-Marked Ballots, Local Races

Kaleb Breaux, Collin County elections administrator, said the first day of early voting on Feb. 17 drew about twice as many voters as the county’s previous primary, a surge election officials tied to Collin County’s first primary using hand-marked paper ballots. Early voting runs through Feb. 27, and the Republican primary is set for March 3, 2026; the county has emphasized that ballots are hand-marked, not hand-counted.

The March 3 Republican primary will decide key county offices, including Collin County Judge and two commissioners court seats. Incumbent Chris Hill and challenger Rick Grady are listed for Collin County Judge. Michael Slaughter is on the ballot for Collin County Commissioners Court District 2. Commissioners Court District 4 features Woody Huffines and Shelby Williams. Ballotpedia notes general election matchups will be added after the primary and that the statewide general election is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.

The move to hand-marked paper ballots was approved by the Collin County Commissioners Court on June 25, 2025. County releases show related preparations: a statement on the Texas Secretary of State’s decertification of ES&S ExpressPoll on Feb. 10, 2025, a notice of precinct boundary changes on Sept. 26, 2025, and a public logic and accuracy test on Oct. 2, 2025. County officials have urged voters that the ballots are to be hand-marked at polling places and have explained voting procedures to reduce confusion at sites.

At the North Texas McKinney Collin County Elections Administration building on Redbud Boulevard, NBC observers reported steady lines and smooth processing. Voter Juanita Donahue said, “I came out to exercise my right to vote. I like to vote early,” and added, “The process went great. In and out, no problems.” One man who declined to give his name told reporters he was “not crazy” about the paper ballots. The county provides an interactive map with polling locations and wait times and has encouraged voters to prepare by viewing sample ballots.

Local voter guidance and party outreach are active in the county. Collin County Votes, a cooperative effort with the Collin County Business Alliance and local chambers, offers “Know Your Ballot: View Primary Candidate Videos,” sample ballots and a “Build Your Ballot” checklist that lists “#1 Find a sample ballot,” “#2 Research candidates,” and “#3 Make a plan to vote!” The Collin County Republican Party site includes “VOTE REPUBLICAN” messaging, poll watcher training, a precinct chair recruitment drive and events such as a Lincoln Day Dinner.

The county’s elections offices list contact numbers for voter questions: McKinney (972) 548-4100 and Metro (972) 424-1460. While officials reported higher turnout on Feb. 17, county releases and the available public records do not yet include precinct-level turnout numbers or final vote totals. The combination of the ballot-method change, the early voting surge and the March 3 primary will determine which candidates advance to the November ballot, when general election candidates will be added.