35980 is a Republican stronghold. About 10% of voters here vote Democratic and 90% Republican.
About 56% of adults in 35980 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 35980, ~6% vote Democratic, ~50% Republican, and ~44% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 35980 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 35980 leans more Republican than 5 of 10 neighbors.
35980 runs about 50 points more Republican than Alabama as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 35980. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+86) and the northeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+75), a spread of about 11 points.
Why 35980 leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per zip code to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for 35980, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with many family households vote Republican. About 74% of households in 35980 are family households, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 67%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and 35980 sits in the bottom quarter (about 16%, below 79% of zip codes).
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; 35980, AL sits below the national average on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in 35980 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 35980 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 79% of adults in 35980 have completed high school, below 92% of zip codes. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Zip Codes
Zip Codes with Similar Populations
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Alabama Secretary of State, Elections, distributed by the Voting and Election Science Team. Demographic inputs come from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates and the 2020 Decennial Census). Health and environmental inputs come from the CDC (PLACES and the Environmental Justice Index). Land cover comes from the USGS and EPA. Election-day and lead-up weather come from PRISM 4km daily grids and the NOAA Global Historical Climatology Network. Mail-voting and election-administration patterns come from the MIT Election Lab's Survey of the Performance of American Elections. Block-group crime detail comes from CrimeGrade. Internet data and modeling support provided by ISPreports.org.
Modeling and analysis by the BestNeighborhood data science team. Full methodology and findings: political spectrum map.
Methodology reviewed by the BestNeighborhood data team. Last updated May 2026.