| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 1,431 | 3,730 | 5,194 | |
| 2020 | R | 1,729 | 3,924 | 5,701 | |
| 2016 | R | 1,680 | 3,799 | 5,528 | |
| 2012 | R | 2,007 | 3,960 | 5,992 | |
| 2008 | R | 2,037 | 3,902 | 5,965 | |
| 2004 | R | 1,900 | 3,664 | 5,592 | |
| 2000 | R | 1,726 | 3,165 | 4,924 | |
| 1996 | R | 2,041 | 2,629 | 4,934 | |
| 1992 | R | 1,182 | 1,695 | 3,084 | |
| 1988 | R | 1,560 | 2,628 | 4,204 | |
| 1984 | R | 1,462 | 2,823 | 4,297 | |
| 1980 | R | 2,037 | 2,153 | 4,228 | |
| 1976 | D | 1,566 | 1,561 | 3,167 | |
| 1972 | R | 580 | 1,777 | 2,424 | |
| 1968 | D | 925 | 138 | 3,194 | |
| 1964 | R | 98 | 2,043 | 2,141 | |
| 1960 | D | 425 | 207 | 1,472 | |
| 1956 | D | 1,080 | 234 | 1,551 | |
| 1952 | D | 1,168 | 535 | 1,703 | |
| 1948 | D | 74 | 14 | 1,226 | |
| 1944 | D | 1,438 | 68 | 1,506 | |
| 1940 | D | 1,408 | 38 | 1,446 | |
| 1936 | D | 1,030 | 19 | 1,050 | |
| 1932 | D | 1,189 | 9 | 1,199 | |
| 1928 | D | 1,102 | 49 | 1,151 | |
| 1924 | D | 895 | 70 | 965 | |
| 1920 | D | 669 | 184 | 864 | |
| 1916 | D | 943 | 34 | 993 | |
| 1912 | D | 653 | 16 | 765 | |
| 1908 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1904 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1900 | D | 710 | 69 | 855 | |
| 1896 | D | 1,187 | 79 | 1,279 | |
| 1892 | D | 624 | 22 | 1,044 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Carroll County's rural Delta-edge geography and small, stable population have produced some of the widest partisan gaps in the state, with the 2024 presidential result landing at R+44.3 in a county of fewer than 11,000 residents.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Carroll County peaked at ninety-eight points in 1932; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 1980 election delivered the county to the Republican party for the first time in many years, by a margin of three points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Carroll County's median household income of $59,327 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 18% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Stone County and Perry County.