Last day for early voting in Texas: Why are turnout numbers lower this year?

Today is the last day for early voting in Texas. The energy is high but why are the numbers low?
North Texas – Interest in the 2024 election is high, so why is early voter turnout lower?
Today marks the last day of early voting in Texas, and while turnout is expected to rise, officials predict it will not reach the levels seen in the 2020 election. 
So far, more than 42% of registered voters in Texas have cast their ballots, with that percentage expected to increase as voters take advantage of the final day. However, the current turnout is unlikely to match the more than 57% of registered voters who participated in early voting in 2020.
In Dallas County, 40% of registered voters have cast ballots, down 15 percentage points from 2020. 
Collin County has seen over 52% turnout, an 18-point drop from the last election. 
In Denton County, turnout is just under 52%, more than 12 points lower than in 2020. 
Data for Tarrant County will be available later today.
Turnout in these major DFW counties is lagging behind previous numbers. But why?
One significant factor is the number of early voting days. In 2020, voters had 18 days of early voting due to the pandemic. This year, that period was reduced to 12 days.

Featured

A 2007 university found that Republican-leaning voters turned out more than those voting for Democrats during rainy weather. Researchers found that voter participation dropped off about one percent per inch of rain, and snowfall decreased turnout by nearly half a percent for every inch of accumulation.
Yes: To help boost turnout, Dallas County has extended voting hours, with polls open until 9 p.m. today.
Tarrant County, Collin County, and Denton County voting centers close at 7 p.m. 
For information on polling locations and voting hours, visit the 2024 election page.