| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | D | 28,305 | 12,428 | 42,248 | |
| 2020 | D | 30,030 | 11,201 | 43,003 | |
| 2016 | D | 24,478 | 10,364 | 39,531 | |
| 2012 | D | 27,072 | 9,344 | 37,758 | |
| 2008 | D | 27,919 | 9,545 | 38,529 | |
| 2004 | D | 25,550 | 11,058 | 37,381 | |
| 2000 | D | 17,945 | 10,176 | 33,366 | |
| 1996 | D | 19,728 | 8,055 | 32,742 | |
| 1992 | D | 17,246 | 8,691 | 35,827 | |
| 1988 | D | 19,310 | 13,475 | 33,123 | |
| 1984 | R | 15,502 | 15,883 | 31,533 | |
| 1980 | R | 11,830 | 12,528 | 30,122 | |
| 1976 | D | 14,985 | 14,837 | 31,181 | |
| 1972 | R | 11,968 | 16,088 | 28,263 | |
| 1968 | R | 12,072 | 12,345 | 25,386 | |
| 1964 | D | 17,106 | 8,344 | 25,624 | |
| 1960 | R | 12,282 | 15,682 | 28,011 | |
| 1956 | R | 7,574 | 19,779 | 27,436 | |
| 1952 | R | 8,729 | 19,489 | 28,268 | |
| 1948 | R | 9,231 | 14,919 | 24,373 | |
| 1944 | R | 9,400 | 13,252 | 22,703 | |
| 1940 | R | 9,472 | 14,137 | 23,728 | |
| 1936 | R | 9,324 | 13,756 | 23,721 | |
| 1932 | R | 6,248 | 13,040 | 19,748 | |
| 1928 | R | 5,842 | 14,333 | 20,324 | |
| 1924 | R | 2,089 | 11,350 | 14,717 | |
| 1920 | R | 2,542 | 9,931 | 12,757 | |
| 1916 | R | 3,054 | 4,353 | 7,646 | |
| 1912 | R | 2,046 | 2,636 | 7,306 | |
| 1908 | R | 1,637 | 4,824 | 7,108 | |
| 1904 | R | 1,672 | 5,034 | 7,050 | |
| 1900 | R | 1,874 | 4,937 | 7,006 | |
| 1896 | R | 1,110 | 5,671 | 7,228 | |
| 1892 | R | 2,886 | 4,510 | 7,709 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Despite its sparse population and agricultural character, Franklin County has delivered Democratic presidential margins exceeding 30 points in every recent cycle, driven by college-educated residents and small progressive enclaves like Greenfield and Montague.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Franklin County peaked at forty-eight points in 2008; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 1988 election delivered the county to the Republican party for the first time in many years, by a margin of eighteen points. By 2024, the margin had settled into deep Republican territory.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Franklin County's median household income of $74,907 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 Berkshire County and Hampshire County.