Bottineau County is a Republican stronghold. About 25% of voters here vote Democratic and 75% Republican.
About 80% of adults in Bottineau County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Bottineau County, ~20% vote Democratic, ~60% Republican, and ~20% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Bottineau County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Bottineau County leans more Republican than 2 of 4 neighbors.
Bottineau County runs about 14 points more Republican than North Dakota as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Bottineau County. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+64) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+41), a spread of about 22 points.
Why Bottineau County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Bottineau County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Food insecurity and voter turnout
Places with low food insecurity tend to turn out at a higher rate; Bottineau County, ND sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Food insecurity does not directly drive turnout; it reflects economic hardship, which lines up with lower voting.
Why turnout in Bottineau County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Bottineau County is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 65%, about 5 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 94% of adults in Bottineau County have completed high school, above 87% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Rolette County, ND D+33
- Renville County, ND R+65
- McHenry County, ND R+61
- Pierce County, ND R+47
- Ward County, ND R+32
- Towner County, ND R+45
- Sheridan County, ND R+69
- Burke County, ND R+76
- Benson County, ND D+2
- Wells County, ND R+58
Counties with Similar Populations
- Ellsworth County, KS R+56
- Bear Lake County, ID R+71
- Henderson County, IL R+41
- Saguache County, CO D+5
- Spink County, SD R+50
- Treutlen County, GA R+35
- Moody County, SD R+40
- Randolph County, GA D+3
- Norman County, MN R+27
- Lafayette County, AR R+32
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from North Dakota 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.