Hersman leans heavily Republican by roughly 32 points: about 34% of voters vote Democratic and 66% Republican.
About 50% of adults in Hersman typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Hersman, ~17% vote Democratic, ~33% Republican, and ~50% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Hersman compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Hersman leans more Republican than 2 of 48 neighbors.
Hersman runs about 43 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Hersman is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Hersman. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+62) and the northwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+25), a spread of about 37 points.
Why Hersman 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 Hersman, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 90% of residents in Hersman drive to work alone, about 16 points above the U.S. average of 74%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Hersman sits in the bottom quarter (about 9%, below 95% of cities). Hersman runs against the grain of Illinois, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
High-school completion, developed land, and voter turnout
Places that combine low high-school-completion share and a heavily developed built environment tend to turn out at a lower rate, as Hersman, IL does.
Why turnout in Hersman looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Hersman is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 48% of households in Hersman rent, compared to around 15% in nearby cities. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 64% of adults in Hersman have completed high school, in the bottom fraction of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Mount Sterling, IL R+30
- Mound Station, IL R+62
- Cooperstown, IL R+60
- Versailles, IL R+60
- Timewell, IL R+63
- Ripley, IL R+54
- Chambersburg, IL R+58
- Kellerville, IL R+72
- Perry, IL R+59
- Clayton, IL R+66
Cities with Similar Populations
- Elkland, PA R+47
- Skeels, MI R+45
- Rock Creek, MN R+46
- Titus, AL R+78
- Clyattville, GA R+49
- West Glendive, MT R+59
- Arkport, NY R+50
- Chinquapin, NC R+51
- Middleberg, OK R+70
- Maroa, IL R+50
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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.