| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 1,154 | 4,575 | 5,777 | |
| 2020 | R | 1,205 | 4,396 | 5,662 | |
| 2016 | R | 1,138 | 3,969 | 5,294 | |
| 2012 | R | 1,736 | 3,231 | 5,036 | |
| 2008 | R | 2,041 | 2,987 | 5,084 | |
| 2004 | R | 2,031 | 2,986 | 5,034 | |
| 2000 | R | 2,033 | 2,446 | 4,542 | |
| 1996 | D | 1,998 | 1,513 | 4,052 | |
| 1992 | D | 2,158 | 1,349 | 4,393 | |
| 1988 | D | 2,489 | 1,494 | 3,990 | |
| 1984 | R | 2,011 | 2,067 | 4,078 | |
| 1980 | D | 2,069 | 1,968 | 4,142 | |
| 1976 | D | 2,318 | 1,334 | 3,682 | |
| 1972 | R | 1,371 | 1,827 | 3,198 | |
| 1968 | D | 1,900 | 1,175 | 3,553 | |
| 1964 | D | 2,847 | 736 | 3,583 | |
| 1960 | D | 2,495 | 1,485 | 3,980 | |
| 1956 | D | 2,632 | 1,373 | 4,005 | |
| 1952 | D | 3,020 | 1,437 | 4,465 | |
| 1948 | D | 3,013 | 908 | 3,922 | |
| 1944 | D | 2,799 | 1,164 | 3,966 | |
| 1940 | D | 3,562 | 1,412 | 4,980 | |
| 1936 | D | 3,822 | 1,051 | 4,885 | |
| 1932 | D | 3,526 | 761 | 4,307 | |
| 1928 | D | 2,273 | 1,794 | 4,071 | |
| 1924 | D | 2,617 | 1,365 | 4,072 | |
| 1920 | D | 2,803 | 1,362 | 4,197 | |
| 1916 | D | 1,994 | 826 | 2,844 | |
| 1912 | D | 1,734 | 591 | 2,583 | |
| 1908 | D | 1,947 | 900 | 2,871 | |
| 1904 | D | 1,794 | 792 | 2,612 | |
| 1900 | D | 2,161 | 770 | 2,959 | |
| 1896 | D | 2,297 | 814 | 3,121 | |
| 1892 | D | 1,968 | 802 | 2,799 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Ralls County, tucked along the Mississippi River in northeast Missouri, recorded a 59-point Republican presidential margin in 2024 — one of the steepest swings in a state that has moved steadily away from competitive statewide races over the past two decades.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Ralls County peaked at sixty-four points in 1932; 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 nine points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Ralls County's median household income of $65,388 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Monroe County and Lewis County.