Ottawa County is a Republican stronghold. About 24% of voters here vote Democratic and 76% Republican.
About 57% of adults in Ottawa County typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Ottawa County, ~14% vote Democratic, ~43% Republican, and ~43% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Ottawa County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Ottawa County leans more Republican than 4 of 11 neighbors.
Ottawa County runs about 4 points more Republican than Oklahoma as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Ottawa County. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+63) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+43), a spread of about 20 points.
Why Ottawa 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 Ottawa County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with low college attainment vote Republican. About 15% of adults in Ottawa County hold a bachelor's degree, about 6 points below the Oklahoma average of 21%. Car-dependent areas vote Republican, and about 82% of residents in Ottawa County drive to work alone, above 80% of counties.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; Ottawa County, OK sits in the bottom 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 Ottawa County looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 33% of households in Ottawa County rent, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and Ottawa County sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 22% of adults in Ottawa County report food insecurity, above 84% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Cherokee County, KS R+56
- Craig County, OK R+53
- Newton County, MO R+54
- Delaware County, OK R+58
- Jasper County, MO R+40
- McDonald County, MO R+65
- Labette County, KS R+42
- Crawford County, KS R+28
- Nowata County, OK R+61
- Mayes County, OK R+56
Counties with Similar Populations
- Mecklenburg County, VA R+17
- Iberville Parish, LA R+6
- Powhatan County, VA R+38
- Caledonia County, VT R+9
- Giles County, TN R+57
- McPherson County, KS R+44
- Knox County, KY R+65
- Austin County, TX R+54
- Randolph County, IL R+45
- Wayne County, GA R+52
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Oklahoma State Election Board, 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.