| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 1,232 | 5,582 | 6,971 | |
| 2020 | R | 1,300 | 5,677 | 7,129 | |
| 2016 | R | 1,376 | 5,039 | 6,592 | |
| 2012 | R | 1,726 | 4,631 | 6,540 | |
| 2008 | R | 1,869 | 4,411 | 6,475 | |
| 2004 | R | 3,008 | 4,181 | 7,289 | |
| 2000 | R | 2,674 | 3,277 | 6,140 | |
| 1996 | D | 3,269 | 2,246 | 6,188 | |
| 1992 | D | 3,217 | 2,495 | 6,736 | |
| 1988 | R | 2,458 | 3,588 | 6,089 | |
| 1984 | R | 2,399 | 4,382 | 6,843 | |
| 1980 | R | 2,716 | 3,448 | 6,426 | |
| 1976 | D | 3,703 | 1,973 | 5,676 | |
| 1972 | R | 1,252 | 3,678 | 4,930 | |
| 1968 | R | 1,149 | 1,333 | 4,593 | |
| 1964 | D | 2,685 | 1,580 | 4,298 | |
| 1960 | D | 2,025 | 1,631 | 3,751 | |
| 1956 | D | 1,614 | 1,137 | 2,771 | |
| 1952 | D | 1,762 | 1,215 | 2,982 | |
| 1948 | D | 1,591 | 391 | 2,092 | |
| 1944 | D | 1,188 | 457 | 1,647 | |
| 1940 | D | 1,601 | 319 | 1,922 | |
| 1936 | D | 1,890 | 345 | 2,247 | |
| 1932 | D | 1,896 | 275 | 2,235 | |
| 1928 | D | 1,329 | 774 | 2,119 | |
| 1924 | D | 1,188 | 422 | 1,831 | |
| 1920 | D | 1,502 | 769 | 2,392 | |
| 1916 | D | 1,679 | 582 | 2,261 | |
| 1912 | D | 1,113 | 258 | 1,749 | |
| 1908 | D | 1,311 | 565 | 2,062 | |
| 1904 | D | 968 | 593 | 1,697 | |
| 1900 | D | 1,367 | 485 | 1,884 | |
| 1896 | D | 1,746 | 424 | 2,233 | |
| 1892 | D | 1,799 | 550 | 2,508 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Franklin County, nestled in the Arkansas River Valley, recorded a 62-point Republican presidential margin in 2024, reflecting the deep rural realignment that has reshaped small-population counties across the upland South over the past two decades.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Franklin County peaked at seventy-three points in 1932; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 2000 election delivered the county to the Republican party for the first time in many years, by a margin of ten points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Franklin County's median household income of $55,886 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 18% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Miller County and Weakley County.