Jefferson County is a Republican stronghold. About 24% of voters here vote Democratic and 76% Republican.
About 77% of adults in Jefferson County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Jefferson County, ~18% vote Democratic, ~59% Republican, and ~23% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Jefferson County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Jefferson County leans more Republican than 2 of 9 neighbors.
Jefferson County runs about 31 points more Republican than Nebraska as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Jefferson County. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+64) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+44), a spread of about 21 points.
Why Jefferson County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Jefferson County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Housing overcrowding and voter turnout
Places with low overcrowding tend to turn out at a higher rate; Jefferson County, NE sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Jefferson County looks the way it does
Areas with high high-school completion turn out at higher rates. About 94% of adults in Jefferson County have completed high school, above 80% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Gage County, NE R+46
- Thayer County, NE R+61
- Washington County, KS R+67
- Saline County, NE R+38
- Fillmore County, NE R+57
- Republic County, KS R+62
- Marshall County, KS R+53
- Nuckolls County, NE R+60
- Seward County, NE R+52
- Lancaster County, NE D+7
Counties with Similar Populations
- Grant County, OR R+53
- Newton County, AR R+63
- Jefferson County, MS D+63
- Van Buren County, IA R+55
- Grand Isle County, VT Even
- Crook County, WY R+78
- Ferry County, WA R+31
- Pierce County, NE R+72
- Pepin County, WI R+30
- Lexington City, VA D+10
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Nebraska 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.