HarrisDemocratic35.3%2,950TrumpRepublican62.5%5,215KennedyIndependent2.2%180
R+27.1- Lead
- 2,265
- Total
- 8,346
- vs nation
- R+25.7
- Turnout
- 68.9%
Akashiccounty
Mercer County, IL
Office (updates table and map)
President margin by year
Place winner margin
Boundary by 2024 margin · Precinct returns · VEST · MIT Election Lab
President results by year
2024 turnout 68.9% of 12,218 citizens 18+
BidenDemocratic36.8%3,280TrumpRepublican60.8%5,418JorgensenLibertarian1.5%134
R+24.0- Lead
- 2,138
- Total
- 8,914
- vs nation
- R+28.4
- Turnout
- 74.3%
ClintonDemocratic36.0%3,071TrumpRepublican56.4%4,807JohnsonLibertarian5.6%475
R+20.4- Lead
- 1,736
- Total
- 8,525
- vs nation
- R+22.5
- Turnout
- 68.5%
ObamaDemocratic52.6%4,507RomneyRepublican45.2%3,876JOHNSONLibertarian1.3%108
D+7.4- Lead
- 631
- Total
- 8,568
- vs nation
- D+3.5
- Turnout
- —
ObamaDemocratic55.2%4,887McCainRepublican43.3%3,833OtherAll other candidates1.4%128
D+11.9- Lead
- 1,054
- Total
- 8,848
- vs nation
- D+4.6
- Turnout
- —
KerryDemocratic50.3%4,512BushRepublican49.1%4,405OtherAll other candidates0.6%57
D+1.2- Lead
- 107
- Total
- 8,974
- vs nation
- D+3.6
- Turnout
- —
GoreDemocratic52.9%4,400BushRepublican44.3%3,688NaderGreen1.9%156
D+8.6- Lead
- 712
- Total
- 8,318
- vs nation
- D+8.0
- Turnout
- —
ClintonDemocratic54.2%4,278DoleRepublican34.0%2,688PerotReform11.3%889
D+20.1- Lead
- 1,590
- Total
- 7,897
- vs nation
- D+11.6
- Turnout
- —
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- R+27.1MIT Election Lab
- Population
- 15,4952024 5-year
- Median household income
- $74,1822024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 93.1%2024 5-year
- Black
- 0.6%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 3.4%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+20.1 in 1996MIT Election Lab
- Peak Republican margin
- R+53.4 in 1920MIT Election Lab
- Most similar
- Henry County, IL · twin score 91.7
Midterm durability
Total general-election participants divided by same-year citizen voting-age population. These are total ballots or participating voters—not presidential candidate votes.
- 2024 total turnout
- 68.9%8,422 participants ÷ 12,218 CVAP
- 2020→2022 drop-off
- +18.0 ptsVolatile
- Drop-off versus state
- -4.0 ptsPositive means a larger decline than the statewide pattern
- Mechanical 2026 scenario
- 50.9%–60.6%Recent-cycle and two-cycle persistence scenarios; not a forecast
| Election | Participants | CVAP | Turnout | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 · Presidential | 8,525 | 12,438 | 68.5% | C/A |
| 2018 · Midterm | 8,566 | 12,265 | 69.8% | A/A |
| 2020 · Presidential | 8,966 | 12,072 | 74.3% | A/A |
| 2022 · Midterm | 6,972 | 12,399 | 56.2% | C/A |
| 2024 · Presidential | 8,422 | 12,218 | 68.9% | A/A |
Sources and methods
- 2016: numerator source 159, denominator source 157; top ticket votes; canonical-complete-contest-floor-v1; allocation share 0.0%; series 148/111.
- 2018: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 297/138.
- 2020: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 301/2.
- 2022: numerator source 159, denominator source 157; top ticket votes; canonical-complete-contest-floor-v1; allocation share 0.0%; series 154/183.
- 2024: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 311/228.
Precinct data
Results by precinct
52 precincts · 8,414 votes
Precinct boundaries and identifiers are cycle-specific. This table does not join rows across years without a validated crosswalk.
| Precinct -RICHLAND GROVE 1RICHLAND GROVE 1 | 223 | 378 | 17 | 618 | 36.1% | 61.2% | R+25.1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precinct -RIVOLIRIVOLI | 183 | 364 | 20 | 567 | 32.3% | 64.2% | R+31.9 |
| Precinct -NEW BOSTONNEW BOSTON | 192 | 342 | 20 | 554 | 34.7% | 61.7% | R+27.1 |
| Precinct -PREEMPTION 1PREEMPTION 1 | 180 | 305 | 14 | 499 | 36.1% | 61.1% | R+25.1 |
| Precinct -MERCER 1MERCER 1 | 218 | 229 | 14 | 461 | 47.3% | 49.7% | R+2.4 |
| Precinct -RICHLAND GROVE 3RICHLAND GROVE 3 | 146 | 287 | 13 | 446 | 32.7% | 64.3% | R+31.6 |
| Precinct -GREENE 1GREENE 1 | 165 | 258 | 15 | 438 | 37.7% | 58.9% | R+21.2 |
| Precinct -PREEMPTION 2PREEMPTION 2 | 144 | 278 | 11 | 433 | 33.3% | 64.2% | R+30.9 |
| Precinct -GREENE 2GREENE 2 | 144 | 233 | 9 | 386 | 37.3% | 60.4% | R+23.1 |
| Precinct -MERCER 5MERCER 5 | 141 | 211 | 13 | 365 | 38.6% | 57.8% | R+19.2 |
| Precinct -MERCER 2MERCER 2 | 151 | 182 | 21 | 354 | 42.7% | 51.4% | R+8.8 |
| Precinct -MILLERSBURGMILLERSBURG | 95 | 233 | 8 | 336 | 28.3% | 69.3% | R+41.1 |
| Precinct -MERCER 3MERCER 3 | 138 | 171 | 10 | 319 | 43.3% | 53.6% | R+10.3 |
| Precinct -PERRYTONPERRYTON | 90 | 202 | 5 | 297 | 30.3% | 68.0% | R+37.7 |
| Precinct -RICHLAND GROVE 2RICHLAND GROVE 2 | 99 | 187 | 6 | 292 | 33.9% | 64.0% | R+30.1 |
| Precinct -SUEZSUEZ | 96 | 178 | 9 | 283 | 33.9% | 62.9% | R+29.0 |
| Precinct -KEITHSBURGKEITHSBURG | 96 | 172 | 14 | 282 | 34.0% | 61.0% | R+27.0 |
| Precinct -MERCER 4MERCER 4 | 116 | 161 | 4 | 281 | 41.3% | 57.3% | R+16.0 |
| Precinct -MERCER 6MERCER 6 | 66 | 170 | 5 | 241 | 27.4% | 70.5% | R+43.2 |
| Precinct -NORTH HENDERSONNORTH HENDERSON | 89 | 142 | 8 | 239 | 37.2% | 59.4% | R+22.2 |
| Precinct -ELIZAELIZA | 42 | 185 | 1 | 228 | 18.4% | 81.1% | R+62.7 |
| Precinct -ABINGTONABINGTON | 56 | 135 | 11 | 202 | 27.7% | 66.8% | R+39.1 |
| Precinct -DUNCANDUNCAN | 37 | 122 | 6 | 165 | 22.4% | 73.9% | R+51.5 |
| Precinct -OHIO GROVEOHIO GROVE | 40 | 85 | 3 | 128 | 31.3% | 66.4% | R+35.2 |
| ABINGTON Voting District17_1713101001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| DUNCAN Voting District17_1713101201 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| ELIZA Voting District17_1713101501 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| GREENE 1 Voting District17_1713100501 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| GREENE 2 Voting District17_1713100502 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| KEITHSBURG 1 Voting District17_1713101301 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| KEITHSBURG 2 Voting District17_1713101302 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| MERCER 1 Voting District17_1713100801 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| MERCER 2 Voting District17_1713100802 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| MERCER 3 Voting District17_1713100803 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| MERCER 4 Voting District17_1713100804 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| MERCER 5 Voting District17_1713100805 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| MERCER 6 Voting District17_1713100806 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| MILLERSBURG Voting District17_1713101101 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| NEW BOSTON 1 Voting District17_1713101401 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| NEW BOSTON 2 Voting District17_1713101402 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| NORTH HENDERSON Voting District17_1713100101 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| OHIO GROVE Voting District17_1713100701 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| PERRYTON Voting District17_1713100901 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| PREEMPTION 1 Voting District17_1713100601 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| PREEMPTION 2 Voting District17_1713100602 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| RICHLAND GROVE 1 Voting District17_1713100301 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| RICHLAND GROVE 2 Voting District17_1713100302 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| RICHLAND GROVE 3 Voting District17_1713100303 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| RIVOLI 1 Voting District17_1713100201 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| RIVOLI 2 Voting District17_1713100202 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| SUEZ 1 Voting District17_1713100401 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| SUEZ 2 Voting District17_1713100402 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
presidential history
Presidential margin, 1892–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 1892 | −10.6% |
| 1896 | −14.3% |
| 1900 | −21.5% |
| 1904 | −36.3% |
| 1908 | −21.9% |
| 1912 | +12.9% |
| 1916 | −20.9% |
| 1920 | −53.4% |
| 1924 | −47.6% |
| 1928 | −41.9% |
| 1932 | −1.4% |
| 1936 | −2.8% |
| 1940 | −24.6% |
| 1944 | −26.6% |
| 1948 | −25.5% |
| 1952 | −41.1% |
| 1956 | −31.7% |
| 1960 | −23.2% |
| 1964 | +2.2% |
| 1968 | −19.8% |
| 1972 | −22.1% |
| 1976 | −8.1% |
| 1980 | −19.5% |
| 1984 | −10.4% |
| 1988 | +6.6% |
| 1992 | +11.8% |
| 1996 | +20.1% |
| 2000 | +8.6% |
| 2004 | +1.2% |
| 2008 | +11.9% |
| 2012 | +7.4% |
| 2016 | −20.4% |
| 2020 | −24.0% |
| 2024 | −27.1% |
DemocraticRepublican
Federal and statewide elections · 3 House · 37 Senate · 3 Senate special · 13 governor
U.S. House
Each row shows U.S. House votes counted inside this Place. “Vote lead” is the local lead here, not necessarily the winner of the full contest.
U.S. Senate
Each row shows U.S. Senate votes counted inside this Place. “Vote lead” is the local lead here, not necessarily the winner of the full contest.
U.S. Senate special elections
Each row shows U.S. Senate special votes counted inside this Place. “Vote lead” is the local lead here, not necessarily the winner of the full contest.
Governor
Each row shows Governor votes counted inside this Place. “Vote lead” is the local lead here, not necessarily the winner of the full contest.
voter registration
Registered voters
Total registered voters, over time
Registered voters
| Year | Total registered |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 12,621 |
| 2018 | 12,777 |
| 2020 | 13,069 |
| 2022 | 12,921 |
| 2024 | 13,021 |
domestic migration
Who moves in and out
Net migration over time, and who arrivals are — where they came from and what those places vote
−13 net domestic migration · 2025
20112025
Net −683 over 2011–2025 · gain loss
Arrivals reported $54,912 in average income, against $80,649 for residents who stayed — 32% lower. (IRS SOI, 2022–23)
The places arrivals came from lean D+1.0 on average — 28 points more Democratic-leaning than Mercer County, IL itself (R+27.1).
Where arrivals came from lean of each source
- Rock Island County, IL125D+9.6
- Scott County, IA38R+3.9
- Henry County, IL27R+24.4
- Knox County, IL20R+9.4
Where departures went households, 2022–23
- Rock Island County, IL108
- Scott County, IA40
- Knox County, IL29
- Warren County, IL26
- Henry County, IL25
Migration is one input to a place’s political change, not its cause — a shift can also come from residents changing their minds, generational turnover, or turnout. These figures describe the places people moved between; they do not measure how any mover voted.
| Year | Net domestic migration |
|---|---|
| 2011 | −81 |
| 2012 | −139 |
| 2013 | −51 |
| 2014 | −149 |
| 2015 | −121 |
| 2016 | −85 |
| 2017 | +41 |
| 2018 | +6 |
| 2019 | −60 |
| 2021 | +26 |
| 2022 | +40 |
| 2023 | +23 |
| 2024 | −120 |
| 2025 | −13 |
Mercer County's 2024 presidential margin of R+27.1 reflects a broader rural realignment across western Illinois, where small agricultural communities have moved decisively away from their mid-20th-century Democratic leanings.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 20.1 points in 1996 and a Republican high of 53.4 points in 1920. Between 2020 and 2024 the county moved 3.2 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 27.1 points.
A population of 15,495, a 93% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $74,182 describe the county. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Henry County and Henderson County.
Political twins — counties
The counties whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Henry County
Illinois
91.7twin score
Swedish ancestry2000–2012 trajectory≠ Scottish ancestry
Henderson County
Illinois
90.4twin score
2000–2012 trajectory≠ 12-yr trend
Union County
Iowa
85.4twin score
12-yr trend2008–2012 trajectory% White≠ Swedish ancestry
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
Browse places by community — income, education, race & ethnicity, language — all community cuts →
Compare two places, side by side
Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →
Cite this page
All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
Mercer County, Illinois. Akashic. https://akashic.app/county/17131/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
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Cities & towns in Mercer County
Illinois at the ballot boxAll elections →
Frequently asked questions
How did Mercer County, Illinois vote in 2024?
In 2024, Mercer County, Illinois voted Republican by 27.1 points (R+27.1), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 8,346 votes cast, 2,950 went Democratic and 5,215 went Republican.
When did Mercer County, Illinois last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which Mercer County, Illinois voted Democratic was 2012.
How many people live in Mercer County, Illinois?
Mercer County, Illinois has a population of 15,495 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Mercer County, Illinois?
Median household income in Mercer County, Illinois is $74,182 — below the national median of $80,734. The Illinois state median is $83,390.
What is the political history of Mercer County, Illinois?
Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in Mercer County, Illinois from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 8 went Democratic and 25 went Republican.