Sallisaw is a Republican stronghold. About 24% of voters here vote Democratic and 76% Republican.
About 56% of adults in Sallisaw typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Sallisaw, ~13% vote Democratic, ~43% Republican, and ~44% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Sallisaw compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Sallisaw leans more Republican than 10 of 57 neighbors.
Politically, Sallisaw sits close to the rest of Oklahoma.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Sallisaw. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+64) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+40), a spread of about 23 points.
Why Sallisaw 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 Sallisaw, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Sallisaw votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 46%, well above the Oklahoma average of 18%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Sallisaw sits in the bottom quarter (about 14%, below 80% of cities).
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; Sallisaw, OK sits in the bottom tenth 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 Sallisaw looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Sallisaw is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 47%, about 8 points below the Oklahoma average of 55%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 40% of households in Sallisaw rent, compared to around 15% in nearby cities. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 29% of adults in Sallisaw report food insecurity, above 95% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Aqua Park, OK R+61
- McKey, OK R+62
- Hanson, OK R+68
- Brent, OK R+68
- Pinhook Corner, OK R+57
- Brushy, OK R+56
- Gans, OK R+68
- Marble City, OK R+53
- Maple, OK R+67
Cities with Similar Populations
- Asbury Lake, FL R+48
- Brownfield, TX R+46
- Crystal Springs, MS D+16
- Munford, TN R+60
- Haleiwa, HI D+7
- Fort Pierce South, FL R+7
- Claremont, NC R+52
- Paris, IL R+44
- Amory, MS R+50
- Newville, PA 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.