Elgin leans heavily Republican by roughly 38 points: about 31% of voters vote Democratic and 69% Republican.
About 66% of adults in Elgin typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Elgin, ~21% vote Democratic, ~45% Republican, and ~34% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Elgin compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Elgin leans more Republican than 43 of 58 neighbors.
Elgin runs about 43 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while Elgin is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Elgin. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+40) and the southwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+24), a spread of about 16 points.
Why Elgin leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Elgin, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Elgin votes against the grain of Minnesota. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while Elgin runs about 43 points more Republican. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 77% of households in Elgin are family households, above 81% of cities.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Elgin, MN sits in the top quarter 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 Elgin looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Elgin 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 69%, about 9 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Viola, MN R+33
- Potsdam, MN R+31
- Plainview, MN R+37
- Millville, MN R+44
- Hammond, MN R+48
- Eyota, MN R+28
- Jarrett, MN R+47
- Beaver, MN R+39
- Elba, MN R+38
- Dover, MN R+40
Cities with Similar Populations
- Clifford, MI R+51
- Stockton Springs, ME R+14
- Home, PA R+60
- Dorset, VT D+22
- Tuscola, MI R+42
- Maysville, MO R+55
- Hickory, LA R+70
- Hurley, VA R+71
- Livona, ND R+49
- South Dayton, NY R+49
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Minnesota 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.