Sharkey County leans heavily Democratic by roughly 48 points: about 74% of voters vote Democratic and 26% Republican.
About 70% of adults in Sharkey County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Sharkey County, ~52% vote Democratic, ~18% Republican, and ~30% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Sharkey County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Sharkey County leans more Democratic than 9 of 11 neighbors.
Sharkey County runs about 71 points more Democratic than Mississippi as a whole. Mississippi leans Republican overall, while Sharkey County is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Sharkey County. The north side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+44) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+19), a spread of about 25 points.
Why Sharkey 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 Sharkey County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Sharkey County votes against the grain of Mississippi. Mississippi leans Republican overall, while Sharkey County runs about 71 points more Democratic. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 47% of adults in Sharkey County have never been married, above 98% of counties.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with low colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a lower rate; Sharkey County, MS sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Sharkey County looks the way it does
Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and Sharkey County sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Issaquena County, MS R+11
- East Carroll Parish, LA D+18
- Humphreys County, MS D+43
- Yazoo County, MS D+17
- Washington County, MS D+48
- West Carroll Parish, LA R+70
- Chicot County, AR D+3
- Madison Parish, LA D+6
- Warren County, MS D+6
- Sunflower County, MS D+35
Counties with Similar Populations
- Haskell County, KS R+66
- Clark County, SD R+57
- Lake of the Woods County, MN R+40
- Pope County, IL R+60
- Ellis County, OK R+77
- Knox County, MO R+66
- Sargent County, ND R+50
- Lyman County, SD R+5
- Chase County, NE R+71
- Cavalier County, ND R+48
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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.