Lawrence County leans heavily Republican by roughly 36 points: about 32% of voters vote Democratic and 68% Republican.
About 70% of adults in Lawrence County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Lawrence County, ~22% vote Democratic, ~47% Republican, and ~31% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Lawrence County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Lawrence County leans more Republican than 1 of 5 neighbors.
Lawrence County runs about 8 points more Republican than South Dakota as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Lawrence County. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+54) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+11), a spread of about 43 points.
Why Lawrence County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Lawrence County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Lawrence County, SD sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Lawrence County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Lawrence County 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 71%, about 11 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in Lawrence County have completed high school, above 95% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Butte County, SD R+62
- Meade County, SD R+51
- Pennington County, SD R+28
- Crook County, WY R+78
- Weston County, WY R+68
- Custer County, SD R+53
- Fall River County, SD R+52
- Harding County, SD R+88
- Campbell County, WY R+65
- Carter County, MT R+78
Counties with Similar Populations
- Russell County, VA R+68
- Montgomery County, NC R+34
- Staunton City, VA Even
- Johnson County, AR R+54
- Hart County, GA R+47
- Plymouth County, IA R+49
- Montezuma County, CO R+24
- McNairy County, TN R+71
- Edgefield County, SC R+23
- Garvin County, OK R+61
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from South Dakota 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.