Menard County leans heavily Republican by roughly 42 points: about 29% of voters vote Democratic and 71% Republican.
About 87% of adults in Menard County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Menard County, ~25% vote Democratic, ~62% Republican, and ~13% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Menard County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Menard County leans more Republican than 6 of 12 neighbors.
Menard County runs about 52 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Menard County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Menard County. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+60) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+29), a spread of about 31 points.
Why Menard 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 Menard County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Menard County votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Menard County runs about 52 points more Republican. Car-dependent areas vote Republican, and about 83% of residents in Menard County drive to work alone, above 88% of counties. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 70% of households in Menard County are family households, above 81% of counties.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Menard County, IL sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in Menard County looks the way it does
Areas with high high-school completion turn out at higher rates. About 95% of adults in Menard County have completed high school, about 5 points above the U.S. average of 90%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 81% of households in Menard County own their home, above 81% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Sangamon County, IL Even
- Mason County, IL R+46
- Logan County, IL R+41
- Cass County, IL R+31
- Morgan County, IL R+25
- Fulton County, IL R+31
- Schuyler County, IL R+44
- Scott County, IL R+64
- Christian County, IL R+45
- Tazewell County, IL R+29
Counties with Similar Populations
- Morgan County, UT R+63
- Northampton County, VA Even
- Appanoose County, IA R+43
- Pamlico County, NC R+37
- Grundy County, IA R+42
- Pike County, IN R+55
- Sumter County, AL D+43
- Todd County, KY R+59
- Stone County, AR R+63
- Butler County, KY R+67
All Local Stats
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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.