Poteau is a Republican stronghold. About 21% of voters here vote Democratic and 79% Republican.
About 54% of adults in Poteau typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Poteau, ~11% vote Democratic, ~43% Republican, and ~46% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Poteau compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Poteau leans more Republican than 6 of 59 neighbors.
Poteau runs about 9 points more Republican than Oklahoma as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Poteau. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+70) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+50), a spread of about 20 points.
Why Poteau 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 Poteau, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Poteau votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 37%, well above the Oklahoma average of 18%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
High-school completion, developed land, and voter turnout
Places that combine low high-school-completion share and a heavily developed built environment tend to turn out at a lower rate, as Poteau, OK does.
Why turnout in Poteau looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Poteau 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 34% of households in Poteau rent, above 89% of cities. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 24% of adults in Poteau report food insecurity, above 89% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Neff, OK R+69
- Shady Point, OK R+70
- Cameron, OK R+76
- Howe, OK R+70
- Panama, OK R+67
- Hill, OK R+76
- Williams, OK R+73
- Wister, OK R+70
- Tahona, OK R+62
- Forest Hill, OK R+70
Cities with Similar Populations
- Quartz Hill, CA R+16
- Hope, AR D+6
- Honey Brook, PA R+21
- Slatington, PA R+29
- Myrtle Grove, NC R+16
- Tillamook, OR R+18
- Trenton, FL R+66
- Fort Madison, IA R+22
- Farmersville, CA R+6
- Gulf Gate Estates, FL R+12
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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.