Smilax is a Republican stronghold. About 12% of voters here vote Democratic and 88% Republican.
About 66% of adults in Smilax typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Smilax, ~8% vote Democratic, ~58% Republican, and ~34% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Smilax compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Smilax leans more Republican than 77 of 129 neighbors.
Smilax runs about 45 points more Republican than Kentucky as a whole.
Why Smilax 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 Smilax, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with low college attainment vote Republican. About 5% of adults in Smilax hold a bachelor's degree, about 14 points below the Kentucky average of 19%.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; Smilax, KY 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 Smilax looks the way it does
Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and Smilax sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Yeaddiss, KY R+77
- Cinda, KY R+78
- Wooton, KY R+74
- Frew, KY R+70
- Wendover, KY R+71
- Avawam, KY R+64
- Fourseam, KY R+64
- Big Rock, KY R+78
- Viper, KY R+67
Cities with Similar Populations
- St. Lucie Village, FL R+42
- Westhampton, MA D+29
- Gravestown, MS R+70
- Caroga Lake, NY R+35
- Riley, IN R+40
- Mica, GA R+67
- Togiak, AK D+27
- Neelyville, MO R+69
- Hines, MN R+42
- Singers Glen, VA R+54
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Kentucky State Board of 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.