Thread by @TexasTribune

1/ Early voting figures can be confusing and easy to misunderstand.

Here are the facts you need to know about turnout in Texas so far. #tx2020 bit.ly/2PkaIC0

2/ First: Is early voting surging compared to 2016?

Too soon to make any bold claims.

Assumptions based on vote totals alone are problematic because they don't account for changes in population or the # of registered voters.

3/ That's why we're tracking % turnout in the state’s biggest counties rather than raw numbers, and comparing 2020 turnout to elections past — it's all relative.

(Percent turnout is calculated by dividing # of ballots cast by # of registered voters). bit.ly/2PkaIC0

4/ Our tracker has been updated to include eight days of early voting.

Here’s where you can see how percent turnout for each party so far compares to the same benchmark in 2012, 2016 and 2018. bit.ly/2PkaIC0

5/ Important note: This tracker only has data from the 10 biggest counties in the state.

According to the latest registration figures reported by the secretary of state before the 2020 primary, 57.2% of all Texas voters live in these 10 counties. bit.ly/2PkaIC0

6/ Also: When you’re evaluating turnout numbers, find out whether they include mail-in ballots.

Voting doesn’t just happen in person.

7/ The moral of the story: We can't say definitively how 2020 early voting turnout compares with years past until early voting is finished and we've evaluated the data within the context they need.

8/8 Keep an eye on our tracker for the next two days to stay updated on early voting stats, and find the rest of our #SuperTuesday resources here:

https://twitter.com/TexasTribune/status/1232462747830341632