South Elma leans heavily Republican by roughly 34 points: about 33% of voters vote Democratic and 67% Republican.
About 65% of adults in South Elma typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in South Elma, ~21% vote Democratic, ~44% Republican, and ~35% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How South Elma compares
Among cities within 25 miles, South Elma leans more Republican than 29 of 39 neighbors.
South Elma runs about 53 points more Republican than Washington as a whole. Washington leans Democratic overall, while South Elma is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why South Elma 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 South Elma, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
South Elma votes against the grain of Washington. Washington leans Democratic overall, while South Elma runs about 53 points more Republican. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and South Elma sits in the bottom quarter (about 15%, below 76% of cities). A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 76% of households in South Elma are family households, above 78% of cities.
Multifamily housing and voter turnout
Places with a low multifamily-housing share tend to turn out in mixed patterns; South Elma, WA sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Apartment housing does not change how people vote; it reflects urban density and renting.
Why turnout in South Elma looks the way it does
Turnout in South Elma sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Saginaw, WA R+19
- Elma, WA R+24
- Malone, WA R+35
- Brady, WA R+26
- Satsop, WA R+35
- Porter, WA R+36
- Montesano, WA R+13
- South Montesano, WA R+15
- Mccleary, WA R+20
Cities with Similar Populations
- Glacier Colony, MT R+60
- Alexandria, NE R+68
- Plantersville, VA R+43
- Friendship, VA R+64
- Forest River Colony, ND R+48
- Thompsonville, NY R+11
- Windom, IN R+67
- New Augusta, AR R+53
- Trinity Alps, CA R+28
- Crittenden, NY R+43
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Washington 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.