Ouachita County leans slightly Republican by roughly 14 points: about 43% of voters vote Democratic and 57% Republican.
About 59% of adults in Ouachita County typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Ouachita County, ~25% vote Democratic, ~34% Republican, and ~41% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Ouachita County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Ouachita County is the least Republican-leaning.
Ouachita County runs about 16 points more Democratic than Arkansas as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Ouachita County. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+68) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+7), a spread of about 61 points.
Why Ouachita 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 Ouachita County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 82% of residents in Ouachita County drive to work alone, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 74%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Ouachita County sits in the bottom quarter (about 16%, below 84% of counties).
Food insecurity and voter turnout
Places with high food insecurity tend to turn out at a lower rate; Ouachita County, AR sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Food insecurity does not directly drive turnout; it reflects economic hardship, which lines up with lower voting.
Why turnout in Ouachita County looks the way it does
Areas with high food insecurity turn out at lower rates. About 25% of adults in Ouachita County report food insecurity, about 9 points above the U.S. average of 16%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Calhoun County, AR R+61
- Dallas County, AR R+18
- Union County, AR R+20
- Nevada County, AR R+27
- Columbia County, AR R+18
- Clark County, AR R+18
- Bradley County, AR R+30
- Hempstead County, AR R+18
- Lafayette County, AR R+32
- Cleveland County, AR R+69
Counties with Similar Populations
- Rockbridge County, VA R+36
- Mercer County, KY R+52
- Johnson County, KY R+66
- Klickitat County, WA R+11
- Washington County, IA R+33
- Caswell County, NC R+23
- Brooke County, WV R+42
- Allen Parish, LA R+48
- Emanuel County, GA R+35
- Franklin County, IN R+63
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Arkansas Secretary 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.