On July 27, Governor Greg Abbott passed a proclamation extending early voting by six days beginning October 13 so that “Texans will have greater flexibility to cast their ballots, while at the same time protecting themselves and others from COVID-19.
They will also have more places to cast them in Collin County, according to Collin County Elections Administrator Bruce Sherbert.
Sherbert says they've increased the number of early voting polling locations from 35 to 45 and Election Day polling locations from 70 to more than 100.
Sherbet anticipates that the additional days for early voting as well as the additional locations will allow people to choose their own time and not have to worry about typical years’ crowds.
But he still recommends going early to vote and not waiting until the last minute.
“[Voting] it’s one of the most important things we can do in this country to elect our leaders, to make informed decisions, to study what we’re going to do in a polling place,” he says. “Your day-to-day life probably in a direct way is impacted more by your local jurisdictions.
“Those who do choose to vote are doing something important and we certainly don’t want to lose the opportunity and the right that we have to do it.”
Under Gov. Abbott’s July 2 mask mandate, masks are not required at any polling locations, though it is highly recommended and there will be measures in place to encourage proper personal hygiene and safety as well as social distancing. Voters are strongly advised to wash or sanitize their hands before entering the voting area and bringing their own pen if possible for signatures.
A limited number of masks will be available at each location. Sanitizing wipes or spray will be on hand for voters to wipe their touch screens before voting if desired. A plexiglass shield will help protect voters and volunteers during the check-in transactions. ID verification will be contactless.
Absentee or mail-in ballots can be submitted in-person at the Collin County Elections Department anytime during early voting, Sherbert says. You can only submit your own ballot and must provide identification. Mail-in ballots can also be traded for a physical ballot when surrendered at the polling location.
Curbside polling will still be available and encouraged for those who are sick or may have a disability, though Sherbet says it may take twice as long. Lines in general may be longer before entering the polling location, as the rooms will be limited to a certain capacity.
For voters concerned about voter fraud, Sherbet assures Collin County citizens that though the general public is not often aware, there are multiple checks and balances in place to prevent miscounts from occurring.
The Ballot Board, for example, is a nonpartisan board that ensures each ballot is counted correctly and matched to a voter’s signature receipt. Every ballot machine shares the same database, but is not connected to the internet to prevent potential hackers from getting through.
Anyone who is concerned about whether or not their ballot was received and counted can check the Collin County elections website to see if their ballot has been received, including mail-in voters. Once you have voted at one location, you cannot vote at another. There are safeguards in place to prevent double voting.
“There’s no perfect system, there’s human beings that can make mistakes, software that can have problems, but that’s what the testing and training is done for and then there is always representation from both parties working in tandem as a team to make sure everything is going appropriately,” Sherbet says.
Oct. 13 - 30 Early Voting Polling Locations
Dates & Hours
October 13 - October 16: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
October 17: 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
October 18: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.
October 19 - October 24: 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
October 25: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.
October 26 - October 30: 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Allen
- Allen Event Center
- Allen ISD Service Center
- Lovejoy ISD Administration Building
Anna
- Anna ISD Administration Bldg.
Celina
- Celina ISD Administration Building
Dallas
- Renner Frankford Library
Farmersville
- Farmersville City Hall
Frisco
- Collin College Frisco Campus
- Frisco Fire Station #8
- The Grove at Frisco Commons
Josephine
- Josephine City Hall
Lavon
- Lavon City Hall
Lucas
- Lucas Community Center
McKinney
- Collin County Elections (Main Early Voting Location)
- Children's Health Star Center
- Christ Fellowship
- Collin College Higher Education Center
- Collin College McKinney Campus
- Gay Library
- McKinney Fire Station #5
- McKinney Fire Station #7
- Slaughter Elementary School
- Webb Elementary School
Melissa
- Melissa City Hall
Murphy
- Murphy Community Center
New Hope
- New Hope Town Hall
Parker
- Parker City Hall
Plano
- Carpenter Park Recreation Center
- Christ United Methodist Church
- Collin College Plano Campus
- Davis Library
- Guinn Special Programs Center
- Haggard Library
- Harrington Library
- Parr Library
- Plano ISD Administration Center
- Shiloh Center
- Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church
Princeton
- First Baptist Church-Princeton
Prosper
- Prosper Town Hall
Richardson
- Richardson Office Complex
Wylie
- Collin College Wylie Campus
- Wylie Senior Recreation Center
Nov. 3 Election Day Polling Locations 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Allen
- Allen Event Center-Concourse
- Allen ISD Service Center-Lobby
- Bethany Elementary School-Gym
- Chandler Elementary School-Gym
- Christ the Servant Lutheran Church-Fellowship Hall
- Curtis Middle School-Auxiliary Gym
- Ereckson Middle School-Library
- Evans Elementary School-Gym
- Ford Middle School- Auxiliary Gym
- Lovejoy ISD Administration Bldg-Portable #1 Training Rm
- Preston Elementary School-Gym
Anna
- Anna ISD-Board Conference Room
Blue Ridge
- Blue Ridge ISD Admin Building-Board Room
Celina
- Celina ISD Administration Building-Gym
Dallas
- Frankford Middle School-Small Gym
- Haggar Elementary School-Gym
Fairview
- Shops of Fairview-Former Ulta Store
Farmersville
- Farmersville City Hall-Council Chambers
Frisco
- Collin College Frisco Campus-Conference Center
- Comerica Building-Lobby
- Frisco Fire Station #8-Training Room
- Hunt Middle School-Aux Gym
- Maus Middle School-Aux Gym
- Nelson Middle School-Aux Gym
- Sam Carter Service Center
- Staley Middle School-Aux Gym
- The Grove at Frisco Commons-Game Room
- Vandeventer Middle School-Aux Gym
Josephine
- Josephine City Hall-Council Chambers
Lavon
- Lavon City Hall-Gym
Lowry Crossing
- Lowry Crossing City Hall-Council Chambers
Lucas
- Lucas Community Center-Community Room
Mckinney
- Children's Health Star Center-Ballet Room
- Christ Fellowship-Room 143, W Entrance
- Collin College Higher Education Center-Atrium 1
- Collin College McKinney Campus-Hallway D Atrium
- Collin County Elections Office-Voting Room
- Gay Library-Meeting Room
- McKinney Fire Station #5-Community Room
- McKinney Fire Station #7-Community Room
- Myers Event Center-Main Room
- Slaughter Elementary-Hallway Next to Gym
- Stonebridge United Methodist Church-Robertson Act Ctr
- Valley Creek Elementary
- Webb Elementary-Room G105
Melissa
- First Melissa-Gym
- Melissa City Hall-Mun. Court Room, 1st Floor
Murphy
- Hunt Elementary School-Cafeteria
- McMillen High School-Small Gym
- Murphy Community Center-Homer & Marie Rooms
Nevada
- Terry Pope Administration Building-Board Room
New Hope
- New Hope Town Hall-Council Chambers
Parker
- Parker City Hall-Council Chambers
Plano
- Armstrong Middle School-Room 250
- Barksdale Elementary School-Gym
- Bowman Middle School-Cafeteria Foyer in Corridor H
- Carpenter Middle School-Small Gym
- Carpenter Park Recreation Center-South Hallway/Lobby
- Christ United Methodist Church-Room S126
- Clark High School
- Collin College Plano Campus-Conference Center
- Daffron Elementary School-Gym
- Davis Library-Hardy Program Room
- Fowler Middle School-Aux Gym
- Haggard Library-Program Room
- Harrington Elementary School-Gym
- Harrington Library-Thelma Rice Sproles Program Room
- Haun Elementary School-Gym
- Hickey Elementary School-Gym
- Hightower Elementary School-Gym
- Islamic Association of Collin County-Gym
- Jackson Elementary School-Gym
- McCall Elementary School-Gym
- Otto Middle School-Small Gym
- Parr Library-Program Room
- Plano ISD Administration Center-Lobby
- Rasor Elementary School-Gym
- Sam Johnson Recreation Center-Ballroom
- Schimelpfenig Middle School-Small Gym Entrance #5
- Shepton High School-Small Gym
- Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church-Youth Church
- Sigler Elementary School-Gym
- Tom Muehlenbeck Recreation Center-Game Room
- Wyatt Elementary School-Gym
Princeton
- First Baptist Church Branch-Fellowship Hall
- First Baptist Church Princeton-Activities Building
Prosper
- Gateway Prosper Campus
- Prosper Town Hall-Community Room
Richardson
- Aldridge Elementary School-Gym
- Miller Elementary School-Gym
- Stinson Elementary School-Gym
- UTD Campus-Callier Clinical Research Center
- Woodcreek Church-Fellowship Hall
Royse City
- Royse City ISD Mike McKinney Maint Facility-Training Rm
Weston
- Weston Community Center-Community Room
Wylie
- Collin College Wylie Campus-Conference Center
- Seis Lagos Community Services Association-Clubhouse
- Southfork Mobile Home Park-Clubhouse
- Wylie Senior Recreation Center-Main Room
To find out where you are registered for Election Day voting visit: https://www.votetexas.gov/mobile/voting/where.htm
