| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 5,900 | 9,784 | 15,999 | |
| 2020 | R | 6,669 | 10,411 | 17,494 | |
| 2016 | R | 6,029 | 9,281 | 16,571 | |
| 2012 | R | 8,134 | 8,164 | 16,686 | |
| 2008 | D | 8,889 | 7,911 | 17,113 | |
| 2004 | R | 7,961 | 9,822 | 17,902 | |
| 2000 | R | 7,754 | 8,526 | 16,823 | |
| 1996 | D | 7,651 | 6,528 | 16,073 | |
| 1992 | D | 7,551 | 6,836 | 17,907 | |
| 1988 | R | 7,354 | 8,896 | 16,351 | |
| 1984 | R | 6,925 | 11,741 | 18,765 | |
| 1980 | R | 5,753 | 11,484 | 18,587 | |
| 1976 | R | 7,566 | 10,854 | 18,648 | |
| 1972 | R | 6,133 | 12,786 | 18,952 | |
| 1968 | R | 6,304 | 11,216 | 18,703 | |
| 1964 | R | 9,086 | 9,552 | 18,638 | |
| 1960 | R | 7,786 | 12,597 | 20,407 | |
| 1956 | R | 5,781 | 13,909 | 19,711 | |
| 1952 | R | 6,173 | 14,300 | 20,498 | |
| 1948 | R | 6,463 | 11,207 | 17,748 | |
| 1944 | R | 6,976 | 11,802 | 18,829 | |
| 1940 | R | 8,274 | 13,258 | 21,607 | |
| 1936 | R | 9,516 | 10,462 | 20,322 | |
| 1932 | D | 10,309 | 8,721 | 19,280 | |
| 1928 | R | 6,486 | 11,557 | 18,133 | |
| 1924 | R | 1,995 | 9,457 | 15,663 | |
| 1920 | R | 2,354 | 9,968 | 13,302 | |
| 1916 | R | 5,793 | 8,213 | 14,590 | |
| 1912 | D | 2,800 | 1,816 | 9,153 | |
| 1908 | R | 2,871 | 5,280 | 9,186 | |
| 1904 | R | 1,917 | 5,624 | 8,745 | |
| 1900 | R | 3,523 | 5,478 | 9,627 | |
| 1896 | R | 3,961 | 5,474 | 9,722 | |
| 1892 | R | 3,555 | 3,924 | 8,181 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Bureau County's economy blends grain farming with legacy manufacturing along the Illinois River corridor, and its electorate has shifted steadily rightward over the past four presidential cycles, reaching a 24-point Republican margin in 2024.
The Republican margin in Bureau County reached its widest at fifty-seven points in 1920. The margin in 2024 was twenty-four points, in line with the county's deep historical pattern.
Bureau County's loyalty is rooted in its place. Median household income of $69,257, a 88% non-Hispanic-white share, and a population of 32,866 together describe a community whose political habits are deeply settled. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Marquette County and Lenawee County.