Panola County is a true toss-up. About 50% of voters here vote Democratic and 50% Republican.
About 68% of adults in Panola County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Panola County, ~34% vote Democratic, ~34% Republican, and ~32% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Panola County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Panola County sits roughly in the middle of the political spectrum, with 7 neighbors leaning further in the place's direction and 5 leaning the other way.
Panola County runs about 23 points more Democratic than Mississippi as a whole. Mississippi leans Republican overall, while Panola County sits closer to the political middle.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Panola County. The west side runs the most Democratic (D+56) and the southeast side runs the most Republican (R+42), a spread of about 97 points.
Why Panola 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 Panola County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Panola County votes against the grain of Mississippi. Mississippi leans Republican overall, while Panola County runs about 23 points more Democratic.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; Panola County, MS sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Panola County looks the way it does
Turnout in Panola County sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Quitman County, MS D+44
- Tate County, MS R+35
- Yalobusha County, MS R+19
- Lafayette County, MS R+16
- Tallahatchie County, MS D+20
- Tunica County, MS D+31
- Coahoma County, MS D+51
- Marshall County, MS R+3
- DeSoto County, MS R+15
- Grenada County, MS R+15
Counties with Similar Populations
- Pickens County, GA R+59
- Clinton County, IN R+45
- Bureau County, IL R+27
- Lee County, GA R+38
- Jefferson County, IN R+43
- Morton County, ND R+49
- Caroline County, MD R+34
- Lawrence County, AL R+63
- Hot Spring County, AR R+51
- Daviess County, IN R+59
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Mississippi 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.