Merrill leans heavily Republican by roughly 50 points: about 25% of voters vote Democratic and 75% Republican.
About 57% of adults in Merrill typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Merrill, ~14% vote Democratic, ~43% Republican, and ~43% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Merrill compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Merrill leans more Republican than 12 of 19 neighbors.
Merrill runs about 64 points more Republican than Oregon as a whole. Oregon leans Democratic overall, while Merrill is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Merrill. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+60) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+46), a spread of about 13 points.
Why Merrill 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 Merrill, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 5% of residents in Merrill live in densely developed areas, about 26 points below the Oregon average of 31%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Merrill sits in the bottom quarter (about 13%, below 84% of cities). Merrill runs against the grain of Oregon, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; Merrill, OR sits below the national average on this measure.
Why turnout in Merrill looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Merrill 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 30% of households in Merrill rent, above 84% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Lake of the Woods, OR R+49
- Malin, OR R+55
- Tulelake, CA R+33
- Falcon Heights, OR R+55
- Olene, OR R+49
- Altamont, OR R+35
- Dairy, OR R+55
- Midland, OR R+48
- Klamath Falls, OR R+22
- Yonna, OR R+56
Cities with Similar Populations
- Plainfield, NH Even
- Wellington, KY R+61
- Oakland, MS R+25
- Mount Sylvan, TX R+72
- Zell, MO R+57
- Alorton, IL D+82
- Franklin, ME R+17
- Barhamsville, VA R+30
- Gainesville, MO R+64
- Bismarck, IL R+53
All Local Stats
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Oregon Secretary of State, Elections Division, 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.