The presidential election is still months away, but Frisco residents get the chance to cast their votes on issues and candidates in the citywide election on Saturday.

Five candidates will be campaigning for spots as part of the Board of Trustees including Bryan Dodson running for Place One, Steven Noskin, Phil Ramirez and Anjali Shirvaikar running for Place Two, and Chad Rudy running for Place Three.

The November general election gets all the attention, but AP Government teacher Matt Swinnea believes voting in the city election is a way to have a more direct influence on issues and candidates.

“I think local elections are fundamentally different than national and even state elections just because there’s opportunity to know candidates a little better,” Swinnea said. “Secondly, just because numbers, you can actually affect an election.”

For those voting, Swinnea urges decisions to be made based off well-educated research.

“I would encourage seniors and anybody that is 18 and older that is going to vote, that they vote as rationally as possible,” Swinnea said. “In other words, they do their homework and dig emotionally, and don’t vote emotionally but vote rationally.”