Ballard County is a Republican stronghold. About 19% of voters here vote Democratic and 81% Republican.
About 72% of adults in Ballard County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Ballard County, ~14% vote Democratic, ~58% Republican, and ~28% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Ballard County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Ballard County leans more Republican than 20 of 22 neighbors.
Ballard County runs about 31 points more Republican than Kentucky as a whole.
Why Ballard County leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Ballard County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 8% of residents in Ballard County live in densely developed areas, about 10 points below the Kentucky average of 18%. A high white share with below-average college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Ballard County fits that profile on both counts.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; Ballard County, KY sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Ballard County looks the way it does
Areas with high high-school completion turn out at higher rates. About 94% of adults in Ballard County have completed high school, about 9 points above the Kentucky average of 85%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Carlisle County, KY R+69
- Pulaski County, IL R+26
- Massac County, IL R+46
- McCracken County, KY R+30
- Alexander County, IL R+4
- Mississippi County, MO R+35
- Hickman County, KY R+61
- Graves County, KY R+57
- Johnson County, IL R+41
- Union County, IL R+48
Counties with Similar Populations
- Greene County, AL D+53
- Yoakum County, TX R+59
- Lincoln County, GA R+37
- Washakie County, WY R+64
- Coleman County, TX R+63
- Franklin County, MS R+35
- Major County, OK R+73
- Humphreys County, MS D+43
- Merrick County, NE R+60
- Kane County, UT R+59
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Kentucky State Board of 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.