Williams County is a Republican stronghold. About 20% of voters here vote Democratic and 80% Republican.
About 65% of adults in Williams County typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Williams County, ~13% vote Democratic, ~52% Republican, and ~35% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Williams County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Williams County leans more Republican than 2 of 3 neighbors.
Williams County runs about 25 points more Republican than North Dakota as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Williams County. The east side is the most Republican-leaning (R+79) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+40), a spread of about 39 points.
Why Williams 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 Williams County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Williams County votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 55%, far above the North Dakota average of 12%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Adult arthritis and voter turnout
Places with a low adult-arthritis rate tend to turn out at a higher rate; Williams County, ND sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Arthritis does not drive turnout; it reflects the age and health profile of an area.
Why turnout in Williams County looks the way it does
Turnout in Williams County 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 Counties
- McKenzie County, ND R+56
- Richland County, MT R+62
- Divide County, ND R+59
- Mountrail County, ND R+35
- Sheridan County, MT R+58
- Burke County, ND R+76
- Dunn County, ND R+53
- Roosevelt County, MT Even
- Billings County, ND R+67
- Wibaux County, MT R+75
Counties with Similar Populations
- Warren County, TN R+62
- Preble County, OH R+58
- Upshur County, TX R+67
- Shawano County, WI R+35
- Tioga County, PA R+50
- Cheatham County, TN R+55
- Clatsop County, OR D+6
- Isanti County, MN R+34
- Warren County, VA R+32
- Mississippi County, AR R+10
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from North 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.