El Rito leans Democratic by roughly 26 points: about 63% of voters vote Democratic and 37% Republican.
About 64% of adults in El Rito typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in El Rito, ~40% vote Democratic, ~24% Republican, and ~36% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How El Rito compares
Among cities within 25 miles, El Rito leans more Democratic than 27 of 36 neighbors.
El Rito runs about 20 points more Democratic than New Mexico as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within El Rito. The southeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+30) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+16), a spread of about 14 points.
Why El Rito leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in El Rito. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Homeownership and voter turnout
Places with homeowner-heavy households tend to turn out at a higher rate; El Rito, NM sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in El Rito looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 98% of households in El Rito own their home, about 18 points above the New Mexico average of 80%. Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and El Rito sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Las Placitas, NM D+24
- Lamadera, NM D+32
- Ojo Caliente, NM D+18
- Vallecitos, NM D+30
- Abiquiu, NM D+17
- Barranca, NM D+17
- Medanales, NM D+20
- Petaca, NM D+30
- La Junta, NM D+13
- Lyden, NM D+15
Cities with Similar Populations
- Sperry, IA R+43
- Gary, WV R+36
- Floyd, IA R+44
- Pocataligo, GA R+78
- Whitesville, GA R+32
- Hodge, LA R+34
- Wisner, NY R+19
- Glenwood, MI R+38
- Camargo, IL R+56
- Macomb, MO R+74
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from New Mexico Secretary of State, Bureau 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.