Todd County is a Democratic stronghold. About 78% of voters here vote Democratic and 22% Republican.
About 46% of adults in Todd County typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Todd County, ~36% vote Democratic, ~10% Republican, and ~54% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Todd County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Todd County is the most Democratic-leaning.
Todd County runs about 86 points more Democratic than South Dakota as a whole. South Dakota leans Republican overall, while Todd County is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Todd County. The southwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+62) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+33), a spread of about 29 points.
Why Todd 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 Todd County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Todd County votes against the grain of South Dakota. South Dakota leans Republican overall, while Todd County runs about 86 points more Democratic. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 52% of adults in Todd County have never been married, in the top fraction of counties.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; Todd County, SD 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 Todd County looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Todd County 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 42%, about 24 points below the South Dakota average of 66%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 54% of households in Todd County rent, compared to around 31% in nearby counties. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and Todd County sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Mellette County, SD R+25
- Cherry County, NE R+67
- Jones County, SD R+72
- Tripp County, SD R+58
- Bennett County, SD R+7
- Jackson County, SD R+9
- Keya Paha County, NE R+82
- Brown County, NE R+74
- Lyman County, SD R+5
- Haakon County, SD R+71
Counties with Similar Populations
- Nowata County, OK R+61
- Jasper County, IL R+61
- St. Clair County, MO R+64
- Beaverhead County, MT R+42
- Charles Mix County, SD R+39
- Clinton County, KY R+72
- Emmet County, IA R+37
- Clear Creek County, CO D+21
- Deer Lodge County, MT R+18
- Pipestone County, MN R+48
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from South Dakota 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.