Gale is a Republican stronghold. About 23% of voters here vote Democratic and 77% Republican.
About 72% of adults in Gale typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Gale, ~17% vote Democratic, ~55% Republican, and ~28% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Gale compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Gale leans more Republican than 29 of 71 neighbors.
Gale runs about 65 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Gale is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why Gale 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 Gale, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 5% of residents in Gale live in densely developed areas, about 28 points below the Illinois average of 33%. A high white share with below-average college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Gale fits that profile on both counts. Gale runs against the grain of Illinois, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; Gale, IL sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Gale looks the way it does
Turnout in Gale sits close to the national pattern. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Thebes, IL R+32
- McClure, IL R+53
- Olive Branch, IL Even
- East Cape Girardeau, IL R+53
- Tamms, IL R+26
- Scott City, MO R+59
- Elco, IL R+55
- Reynoldsville, IL R+56
- Commerce, MO R+69
Cities with Similar Populations
- Crandall, SD R+53
- Stoverville, AR R+52
- Weed Crossroad, AL R+70
- Blue Grass, VA R+44
- Willow, IL R+40
- Houston, IL R+58
- Hubbell, NE R+70
- Maxville, MT R+32
- Maybell, CO R+70
- Cottage Grove, IN R+63
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Illinois 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.