As election day nears, politicians are turning up the volume on campaign rhetoric. To cut through the noise, we’re launching Campaign Context, our series providing clarity on the messages you’re hearing from candidates on the campaign trail. We’re digging past the politics and into the facts to provide you with the transparent, spin-free information you need to make informed decisions this election season. AUSTIN (KXAN) — After an unprecedented campaign season, early voting began Monday in Texas. Following a surge in voters casting early ballots in 2020 (amid a pandemic), a big question this cycle is whether voters will turn out early once again. If they do, will we see the same partisan split we saw then? MORE CAMPAIGN CONTEXT: Can fake AI images, videos still resonate with voters? An NBC News poll conducted in September examined that. It found about 51% of registered voters said they planned to cast their ballot early in this election. Looking at the two parties, Democrats polled said they were more likely to vote early, 61% to 35% compared to Republicans. That tracks with early turnout in 2020. And once again, more GOP voters polled said they were more likely to wait until Election Day, 57% to 37% of Democrats. Republican party leadership has pushed for more early voting this cycle, an effort that's been somewhat muddled by the top of the ticket, with former President Donald Trump's mixed messaging when it comes to casting early ballots. Early voting in Texas runs until Nov. 1. You can track local and state voter turnout with KXAN's 2024 Turnout Tracker.