Bacteria grow rapidly at room temperature. Instead, plan on one day of refrigerator defrost for every five pounds of turkey meat. Avoid defrosting altogether by purchasing a fresh bird. Do not cook turkey overnight. This is an extremely dangerous practice.
Bacteria can grow at low temperatures, actually becoming heat-resistant.
Do not partially cook the bird the day before and then finish it on Thanksgiving. Interrupted cooking increases the chance of bacterial growth to infectious levels. Safely speed up cooking by using a commercial oven cooking bag, or by cooking the stuffing separately. Do not use paper grocery bags to cover turkey in the oven. Toxins from the glue in the seams could cause illness.