| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 3,279 | 10,630 | 14,123 | |
| 2020 | R | 3,632 | 10,185 | 14,113 | |
| 2016 | R | 3,026 | 8,660 | 12,231 | |
| 2012 | R | 4,122 | 6,606 | 10,916 | |
| 2008 | R | 4,343 | 6,691 | 11,206 | |
| 2004 | R | 3,724 | 7,152 | 10,951 | |
| 2000 | R | 3,596 | 5,319 | 9,071 | |
| 1996 | D | 3,653 | 2,855 | 7,449 | |
| 1992 | D | 3,387 | 2,641 | 7,365 | |
| 1988 | R | 3,079 | 3,441 | 6,545 | |
| 1984 | R | 2,503 | 3,820 | 6,347 | |
| 1980 | D | 3,205 | 2,740 | 6,059 | |
| 1976 | D | 3,030 | 1,755 | 4,868 | |
| 1972 | R | 1,541 | 2,492 | 4,090 | |
| 1968 | D | 1,926 | 1,385 | 4,200 | |
| 1964 | D | 3,076 | 1,055 | 4,136 | |
| 1960 | D | 2,385 | 1,826 | 4,211 | |
| 1956 | D | 2,016 | 1,670 | 3,692 | |
| 1952 | D | 2,040 | 1,265 | 3,310 | |
| 1948 | D | 1,915 | 773 | 2,725 | |
| 1944 | D | 1,828 | 1,040 | 2,880 | |
| 1940 | D | 2,114 | 995 | 3,121 | |
| 1936 | D | 2,102 | 785 | 2,966 | |
| 1932 | D | 2,488 | 1,050 | 3,564 | |
| 1928 | D | 1,700 | 1,610 | 3,317 | |
| 1924 | D | 1,802 | 1,106 | 2,955 | |
| 1920 | D | 2,195 | 1,468 | 3,693 | |
| 1916 | D | 1,317 | 803 | 2,164 | |
| 1912 | D | 1,145 | 337 | 2,032 | |
| 1908 | D | 1,295 | 863 | 2,201 | |
| 1904 | D | 1,245 | 834 | 2,134 | |
| 1900 | D | 1,470 | 919 | 2,421 | |
| 1896 | D | 1,519 | 781 | 2,342 | |
| 1892 | D | 1,171 | 416 | 1,792 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Meade County, wedged between Fort Knox and the Ohio River, has shifted dramatically toward Republican presidential candidates over the past two decades, posting a 52-point margin in 2024 that reflects broader rural realignment across western Kentucky.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Meade County peaked at forty-nine points in 1964; 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 nineteen points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Meade County's median household income of $74,355 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 12% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Nelson County and Harrison County.