Gallatin County is a Republican stronghold. About 20% of voters here vote Democratic and 80% Republican.
About 68% of adults in Gallatin County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Gallatin County, ~14% vote Democratic, ~54% Republican, and ~32% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Gallatin County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Gallatin County leans more Republican than 15 of 20 neighbors.
Gallatin County runs about 71 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Gallatin County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Gallatin County. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+66) and the northeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+53), a spread of about 12 points.
Why Gallatin 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 Gallatin County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 6% of residents in Gallatin County live in densely developed areas, about 27 points below the Illinois average of 33%. A high white share with below-average college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Gallatin County fits that profile on both counts. Gallatin County runs against the grain of Illinois, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; Gallatin County, IL sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Gallatin County looks the way it does
Turnout in Gallatin County sits close to the national pattern. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Saline County, IL R+50
- Union County, KY R+56
- Hardin County, IL R+57
- White County, IL R+59
- Hamilton County, IL R+62
- Posey County, IN R+45
- Pope County, IL R+60
- Crittenden County, KY R+68
- Webster County, KY R+58
- Henderson County, KY R+33
Counties with Similar Populations
- Scott County, IL R+64
- Toole County, MT R+43
- Rooks County, KS R+66
- Phillips County, KS R+68
- Wheeler County, TX R+67
- Dickey County, ND R+55
- Craig County, VA R+64
- Pickett County, TN R+70
- Ouray County, CO D+13
- Thayer County, NE R+61
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.