Mackinac County leans Republican by roughly 20 points: about 40% of voters vote Democratic and 60% Republican.
About 79% of adults in Mackinac County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Mackinac County, ~32% vote Democratic, ~47% Republican, and ~21% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Mackinac County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Mackinac County leans more Republican than 2 of 4 neighbors.
Mackinac County runs about 18 points more Republican than Michigan as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Mackinac County. The north side is the most split-leaning (R+42) and the southeast side is the least split-leaning (R+2), a spread of about 40 points.
Why Mackinac County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Mackinac County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; Mackinac County, MI sits below the national average on this measure.
Why turnout in Mackinac County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Mackinac 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 67%, about 7 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Chippewa County, MI R+11
- Cheboygan County, MI R+26
- Emmet County, MI R+10
- Luce County, MI R+32
- Charlevoix County, MI R+19
- Schoolcraft County, MI R+28
- Presque Isle County, MI R+36
- Otsego County, MI R+28
- Antrim County, MI R+21
- Montmorency County, MI R+42
Counties with Similar Populations
- Louisa County, IA R+37
- Sussex County, VA Even
- Box Butte County, NE R+55
- Barnes County, ND R+36
- Early County, GA R+6
- Pushmataha County, OK R+70
- Carroll County, KY R+51
- Hancock County, IA R+42
- Roosevelt County, MT Even
- Lincoln County, WA R+54
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Michigan Department 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.