Plano Storm Disrupts Jan. 31 Early Voting, State of City Feb. 3

A winter storm and extreme cold prompted city election officials to suspend early voting for one day, closing polling locations that had been scheduled to serve voters ahead of the Jan. 31 special election. The interruption reduces in-person options for Collin County-area voters ahead of Saturday’s election and puts pressure on election administrators to communicate alternatives swiftly.

The City of Plano posted an election update that read, "Due to inclement weather, all polling locations for the January 31, 2026 Special Election are closed Tuesday, January 27, 2026:" and listed the affected sites. Those locations named in the update are Carpenter Park Recreation Center, Collin College – Frisco Campus, Collin County Elections Office, Davis Library, Frisco Fire Station #5, Frisco Fire Station #8, Haggard Library, Harrington Library, Parr Library, The Grove at Frisco Commons, and Tom Muehlenbeck Recreation Center. The notice was issued in both English and Spanish; the Spanish text states, "Debido al mal tiempo, todos los centros de votación para la Elección Especial del 31 de enero de 2026 están cerrados el martes 27 de enero de 2026."

The city elections page includes a full early voting schedule that had shown Jan. 27 as an active day with hours of 7 am – 7 pm. Other listed early voting hours included January 14–17 and January 20–24 with 8 am – 5 pm slots, January 26 with 7 am – 7 pm, and Election Day on January 31 set for 7 am – 7 pm. The Jan. 27 day had been scheduled but was explicitly suspended by the closure notice, reducing the number of in-person opportunities immediately before election day.

Officials told voters that "Additional updates will be posted on the Collin County and Denton County Elections Department websites." The closure notice appears on the city elections page under the Elections section, which also lists items such as the May 2, 2026 DART Election, Special Election forms and instructions, campaign finance reports from 2022 through 2026, and candidate materials.

City leaders are still preparing for the annual State of the City address. "Plano's 2026 State of the City event is scheduled for Tuesday, February 3." In addition, "Mayor Muns will share his annual address next week." Details on time, venue, and format were not included in the posted excerpts; residents should expect the mayor’s remarks to address city priorities and may touch on weather response and public-safety measures.

For Plano-area voters the immediate questions are practical: whether make-up early voting hours will be added, where alternate sites remain open, and whether weather will affect turnout on Jan. 31. The closure underscores the need for voters to check official county elections pages for updates and plan accordingly. The State of the City remains set for Feb. 3, and the city’s election update indicates election officials will provide further information through county channels in the days ahead.