Early Voting, 2020 Primary--Watauga County Compared to Rest of State

According to Dr. Michael Bitzer, Democratic turnout for early voting in the current primary election went up some 33% statewide. In some 27 counties, Democratic turnout shot up like a rocket:

Increase over 2016's Democratic Early Vote

Wake 79%
Union 78%
Iredell 74%
Yadkin 73%
Brunswick 70%
New Hanover 63%
Northampton 63%
Mecklenburg 59%
Forsyth 56%
Moore 56%
Alamance 55%
Henderson 51%
Guilford 47%
Johnston 45%
Bertie 44%
Stokes 41%
Currituck 40%
Lincoln 39%
Anson 38%
Durham 36%
Chatham 35%
Harnett 34%
Gates 34%
Transylvania 34%
Pamilco 34%
Cabarrus 34%
Buncombe 33%

(Can't look at that chart without marveling over Yadkin's showing. What's going on in Yadkin, where you could hardly find a Democrat a few years ago?)

Meanwhile, in Watauga County, overall (all party) early voting turnout was down in 2020 (5,915 total votes cast) compared to early voting in the 2016 primary (7,215 total votes). Turnout by party affiliation was also down: Democrats down 17% from 2016; Unaffiliateds down 24%; and Republicans down a whopping 52% (whopping considering all the Republican primary races on their party's ballot). In fact, the overall voter turnout in Watauga for early voting was down primarily because some 800 Republicans who showed up in 2016 didn't bother to show up in 2020 -- at least not during early voting. Maybe they all were waiting for tomorrow.

Republican primary races aren't energizing Watauga Republicans, and Democratic primary races aren't energizing Democratic voters like they were energized in 2016, though they're clearly more engaged in Watauga than the Republicans.