| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 1,177 | 3,774 | 5,031 | |
| 2020 | R | 1,295 | 3,721 | 5,113 | |
| 2016 | R | 1,225 | 3,208 | 4,817 | |
| 2012 | R | 1,998 | 2,569 | 4,698 | |
| 2008 | D | 2,311 | 2,285 | 4,739 | |
| 2004 | R | 2,308 | 3,187 | 5,562 | |
| 2000 | R | 1,910 | 2,912 | 5,199 | |
| 1996 | D | 2,333 | 2,068 | 5,154 | |
| 1992 | D | 2,309 | 2,136 | 5,803 | |
| 1988 | D | 3,001 | 2,752 | 5,811 | |
| 1984 | R | 2,705 | 3,433 | 6,207 | |
| 1980 | R | 2,636 | 3,638 | 6,775 | |
| 1976 | D | 3,744 | 2,605 | 6,489 | |
| 1972 | R | 2,790 | 3,264 | 6,190 | |
| 1968 | D | 3,161 | 2,367 | 5,956 | |
| 1964 | D | 4,594 | 1,893 | 6,490 | |
| 1960 | D | 3,759 | 3,006 | 6,777 | |
| 1956 | D | 3,478 | 2,519 | 6,007 | |
| 1952 | R | 3,132 | 3,516 | 6,733 | |
| 1948 | D | 4,126 | 2,090 | 6,507 | |
| 1944 | D | 3,808 | 2,029 | 5,864 | |
| 1940 | D | 4,549 | 2,441 | 7,034 | |
| 1936 | D | 4,802 | 1,904 | 6,852 | |
| 1932 | D | 3,259 | 1,866 | 5,463 | |
| 1928 | R | 2,200 | 3,738 | 6,070 | |
| 1924 | R | 290 | 2,100 | 5,246 | |
| 1920 | R | 885 | 4,738 | 6,283 | |
| 1916 | D | 1,513 | 1,461 | 3,266 | |
| 1912 | D | 567 | 331 | 2,930 | |
| 1908 | R | 731 | 1,648 | 2,747 | |
| 1904 | R | 275 | 1,720 | 2,252 | |
| 1900 | R | 905 | 1,457 | 2,442 | |
| 1896 | D | 1,222 | 1,200 | 2,452 | |
| 1892 | D | 526 | 354 | 1,885 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Marshall County, anchored by the Red River Valley's flat agricultural plains, has shifted toward lopsided Republican presidential margins over the past decade, with 2024's R+51.6 result reflecting the broader rural realignment across the Upper Midwest's farming communities.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Marshall County peaked at forty-two points in 1936; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 2012 election delivered the county to the Republican party for the first time in many years, by a margin of twelve points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Marshall County's median household income of $72,543 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 8% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Iowa County and Nobles County.