Ward leans heavily Republican by roughly 38 points: about 31% of voters vote Democratic and 69% Republican.
About 69% of adults in Ward typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Ward, ~21% vote Democratic, ~48% Republican, and ~31% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Ward compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Ward leans more Republican than 6 of 32 neighbors.
Ward runs about 10 points more Republican than South Dakota as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Ward. The west side is the most Republican-leaning (R+54) and the southeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+25), a spread of about 30 points.
Why Ward leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Ward. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; Ward, SD sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Ward looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Ward is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 70%, about 10 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Flandreau, SD R+29
- Egan, SD R+28
- Lone Tree, SD R+50
- Colman, SD R+53
- Elkton, SD R+49
- Aurora, SD R+51
- Rutland, SD R+53
- Trent, SD R+53
- Sunnyview, SD R+35
- Verdi, MN R+57
Cities with Similar Populations
- Holy Cross, KY R+61
- Hurstville, IA R+42
- Morvant, LA R+76
- Ross, TX R+73
- Burkettsville, OH R+82
- Berthold, ND R+64
- Tillman, MS D+50
- Mark Center, OH R+61
- Matagorda, TX R+72
- Tress Shop, KY R+63
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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.