Potter County is a Republican stronghold. About 19% of voters here vote Democratic and 81% Republican.
About 78% of adults in Potter County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Potter County, ~15% vote Democratic, ~63% Republican, and ~22% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Potter County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Potter County leans more Republican than 4 of 5 neighbors.
Potter County runs about 33 points more Republican than South Dakota as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Potter County. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+71) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+53), a spread of about 18 points.
Why Potter County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Potter County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Park access and Republican lean
Places with low park coverage tend to lean Republican; Potter County, SD sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in Potter County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Potter County is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 72%, about 12 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 82% of households in Potter County own their home, above 87% of counties. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in Potter County have completed high school, above 98% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Sully County, SD R+62
- Walworth County, SD R+56
- Faulk County, SD R+66
- Hyde County, SD R+60
- Edmunds County, SD R+60
- Hughes County, SD R+34
- Campbell County, SD R+66
- Stanley County, SD R+49
- Dewey County, SD D+30
- McPherson County, SD R+66
Counties with Similar Populations
- Niobrara County, WY R+90
- Elk County, KS R+68
- Kiowa County, KS R+71
- Wayne County, UT R+64
- Harmon County, OK R+53
- Hettinger County, ND R+69
- Schleicher County, TX R+44
- Sheridan County, KS R+79
- Rich County, UT R+66
- Hamilton County, KS R+71
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from South Dakota 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.