Shanks is a Republican stronghold. About 18% of voters here vote Democratic and 82% Republican.
About 72% of adults in Shanks typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Shanks, ~13% vote Democratic, ~59% Republican, and ~28% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Shanks compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Shanks leans more Republican than 53 of 76 neighbors.
Shanks runs about 23 points more Republican than West Virginia as a whole.
Why Shanks leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Shanks. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Housing overcrowding and voter turnout
Places with low overcrowding tend to turn out at a higher rate; Shanks, WV sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Shanks looks the way it does
Turnout in Shanks sits close to the national pattern. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Augusta, WV R+66
- Romney, WV R+55
- Pleasantdale, WV R+66
- Three Churches, WV R+63
- Wapocomo, WV R+65
- Delray, WV R+69
- Rio, WV R+64
- Millbrook, WV R+63
- Loom, WV R+61
- Kirby, WV R+66
Cities with Similar Populations
- Poestenkill, NY R+15
- Isleton, CA R+13
- New Richland, MN R+41
- McGraw, NY R+39
- Strum, WI R+33
- Cole, OK R+70
- Sharpsville, IN R+54
- Houston, DE R+36
- Chimacum, WA D+27
- Sweet Springs, MO R+54
All Local Stats
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from West Virginia 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.