36869 leans Democratic by roughly 22 points: about 61% of voters vote Democratic and 39% Republican.
About 65% of adults in 36869 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 36869, ~40% vote Democratic, ~25% Republican, and ~35% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 36869 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 36869 leans more Democratic than 10 of 14 neighbors.
36869 runs about 53 points more Democratic than Alabama as a whole. Alabama leans Republican overall, while 36869 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 36869. The east side runs the most Democratic (D+69) and the west side runs the most Republican (R+52), a spread of about 121 points.
Why 36869 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 36869, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
36869 votes against the grain of Alabama. Alabama leans Republican overall, while 36869 runs about 53 points more Democratic.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; 36869, AL sits in the bottom tenth nationally 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 36869 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 36869 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 48%, about 5 points below the Alabama average of 54%. 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.