Normal leans Democratic by roughly 22 points: about 61% of voters vote Democratic and 39% Republican.
About 66% of adults in Normal typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Normal, ~40% vote Democratic, ~26% Republican, and ~34% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Normal compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Normal is the most Democratic-leaning.
Normal runs about 12 points more Democratic than Illinois as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Normal. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+38) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (Even), a spread of about 38 points.
Why Normal 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 Normal, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 85% of residents in Normal live in densely developed areas, about 49 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Normal sits in the top quarter (about 50%, above 93% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 51% of adults in Normal have never been married, above 98% of cities.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Normal, IL sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Normal looks the way it does
Areas with high high-school completion turn out at higher rates. About 98% of adults in Normal have completed high school, about 6 points above the Illinois average of 92%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Bloomington, IL D+11
- Towanda, IL R+32
- Hudson, IL R+36
- Shirley, IL R+22
- Carlock, IL R+40
- Randolph, IL R+34
- Downs, IL R+32
- Holder, IL R+30
- Kappa, IL R+46
- Danvers, IL R+43
Cities with Similar Populations
- Potomac, MD D+49
- Methuen Town, MA D+6
- Galveston, TX D+14
- Union, NJ D+32
- Sterling, VA D+23
- Hoffman Estates, IL D+15
- Meridian, MS D+11
- Delaware, OH R+7
- Liverpool, NY D+13
- Enid, OK R+39
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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.