Almost 200 had already voted as of noon Monday

By THOMAS P. WEAVER

Horizon Editor

CELINA-With a couple of weeks remaining until Election Day, City of Celina Election vote totals as of noon Monday were trending towards a big overall turnout of residents and property owners casting ballots this year.

To start the week, a total of 196 votes over four full days had been cast here as of HORIZON press time, with nine full days remaining in the 2025 early voting period.

Four years ago, a total of 270 early and absentee ballots were seen over the entirety of the 2021 city election, and, as of Monday, 72% of the last cycle’s total nearing 300 had already been cast.

The rate of votes over the first four full days this year amounts to 49 votes per day, which means, if it holds true over the final nine full days, a whopping total of 637 early and absentee votes could be seen prior to Election Day on June, 3.

That number would represent over 200 more than 2021’s entire vote total of 433, which includes 163 Election Day votes from four years ago.

“So far we have been busy with ballots being cast at a fast pace,” local election administrator Monica Davis said.  “I feel like the number of candidates has increased interest in the city election.

“We hope the trend continues, and Celina residents and those who own city property keep exercising their civic duty by mailing in ballots, coming to the polls to vote early, or doing so on Election Day.”

The trend is further evident when consideration is given to the fact the 196 ballots cast of midday Monday represents over 45% of the total vote in 2021.

Another factor pointing to a significantly-higher voter turnout coming in 2025 is evidenced by this year’s total already including 77 absentee votes, which exactly matches the total of absentee ballots received throughout the entire election cycle of four years ago.

Over 62% of the votes in 2021 came either early or by absentee ballot—which includes those mailed in by city property owners.

At the time, there were 988 registered voters in the City of Celina, which is the only number which seems to have dropped over the last four years, as a current total of 957 are registered to vote in the city election.

The city election of 2021 saw a 43.83% turnout of registered voters.

If 2025’s early and absentee vote trend continues, and a similar number of votes from fours years ago are seen on Election Day, the total vote count would come close to doubling this year—representing an unheard of voter turnout of over 80%.

Those numbers may not be attained, but trend-following speculation shows how they could possible, and a quick decline in numbers would need to occur for voter turnout not to increase heavily compared to 2021.

Early voting continues here this week at the Celina Fire Department from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. through Thursday, May 29.

Absentee ballots can be requested through this Friday, May 23.

Celina residents and property owners are voting in a three-person race for mayor and are choosing from eight candidates vying to fill three alderman seats.

Incumbent mayor Luke Collins is being challenged by former two-term mayor Willie Kerr and current vice-mayor and alderman Justin Rich.

Collins and Rich both took office in 2021, while Kerr served eight years as city mayor from 2009-2017.

With Rich entering the mayoral race and Brittany Kerr not running for re-election, Kenny Westmoreland is the only incumbent in the aldermen race.

He is joined by current Clay County commissioner Timmy Boles, former city mayoral candidate Micheal Boles, prior aldermen candidate Dawn Dale, Kenneth Dale, Tracy Mills, Christopher Hayes, and Patty Spears.

For more information on the city election, contact Davis at 931-243-2536.