Early voting in Collin County and Wylie Feb. 17-27; Primary March 3

Early voting for the Republican and Democratic primaries opens Tuesday, Feb. 17, giving Collin County voters a ten-day window before the March 3 primary. “Polling places across Texas open Tuesday, Feb. 17, for early voting in the Republican and Democratic party primaries. Early voting ends Friday, Feb. 27, and Election Day is Tuesday, March 3. If needed, runoffs will be held Tuesday, May 26,” a local primer noted.

The Texas Secretary of State sets the last day to register for the March primary as Monday, Feb. 2, and the last day to apply for a ballot by mail (must be received, not postmarked) as Friday, Feb. 20. The Secretary of State also lists ID requirements and points voters to the official state elections site for full guidance.

Collin County continues to operate voting centers, meaning registered Collin County voters may cast a ballot at any voting location in the county. The county GOP’s posted guidance states, “Collin County uses Voting Centers, which means you can vote at any location in the county as long as you’re registered to vote in Collin County.” The Collin County Republican Party provided a Wylie-specific early voting schedule that lists daily hours by date and attributes those times to the party: Feb. 17, 18, 19 and 20 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Feb. 21 from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Feb. 22 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and Feb. 23 through Feb. 27 from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The party also posts that voting on Election Day will run from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. statewide locations may vary, so voters should confirm site details before going.

Voters in Collin County will see high-profile statewide and federal contests on the ballot, including all 38 U.S. House seats, 16 state senate seats, all 150 Texas House seats and the U.S. Senate seat currently held by John Cornyn. Local and legislative matchups in the Collin-Wylie area include several contested primaries: “State Rep. Jeff Leach is opposed in the Republican primary by Matt Thorsen. Emeka Eluka is the Democratic contender,” and “State Rep. Candy Noble is opposed for the GOP nomination by Freddie America and former Wylie Councilmember Jeff Forrester. The winner will face Democrat Angie Carraway.” In District 112, “State Rep. Angie Chen Button faces GOP opposition from Perry E. Barker Sr., Chad Carnahan and Tina Price. Zach Herbert is the Democratic candidate.” The Collin County judge contest lists “incumbent Chris Hill is opposed for County Judge by fellow Republican Rick Grady, a former city councilmember from Plano. The Democratic candidate is John R. Buster Brown.”

City of Wylie municipal elections follow a separate schedule. The city notes, “Please note, the City of Wylie is located in three counties. Please make sure to review the information below for the county you reside in. Also, please note that early voting hours vary by county, so review your county of residence closely.” Municipal filing and voting dates differ, with early voting for city races scheduled April 20-28 and Election Day on May 2.

Practical next steps for Collin County voters: confirm your registration by Feb. 2 if you plan to vote in the March primary, request an absentee ballot early enough to meet the Feb. 20 received-by deadline, and verify your preferred polling site and required ID. For local questions, the Collin County Republican Party lists its office at 2963 West 15th Street, Suite 2981, Plano, with a phone number of (972) 312-9959 and weekday office hours of 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and local news contact information is available at Wylie News, 110 N. Ballard Avenue, Wylie, phone 972-442-5515. The March 3 primary will determine who advances to the Nov. 3 general election and could reshape representation at both the state and federal level; voters should plan now to make their voices count.