| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | D | 2,567 | 1,427 | 4,075 | |
| 2020 | D | 2,482 | 1,257 | 3,804 | |
| 2016 | D | 2,099 | 1,217 | 3,755 | |
| 2012 | D | 3,353 | 1,092 | 4,552 | |
| 2008 | D | 3,403 | 1,045 | 4,534 | |
| 2004 | D | 2,564 | 1,392 | 4,044 | |
| 2000 | D | 2,681 | 1,416 | 4,398 | |
| 1996 | D | 2,299 | 823 | 3,601 | |
| 1992 | D | 2,002 | 895 | 3,606 | |
| 1988 | D | 2,426 | 1,126 | 3,606 | |
| 1984 | D | 2,179 | 1,479 | 3,751 | |
| 1980 | D | 1,660 | 1,599 | 3,566 | |
| 1976 | D | 2,531 | 1,094 | 3,693 | |
| 1972 | D | 1,803 | 1,713 | 3,559 | |
| 1968 | D | 1,870 | 1,211 | 3,253 | |
| 1964 | D | 2,566 | 892 | 3,458 | |
| 1960 | D | 2,335 | 1,277 | 3,615 | |
| 1956 | D | 1,728 | 1,444 | 3,178 | |
| 1952 | R | 1,160 | 2,188 | 3,365 | |
| 1948 | D | 1,565 | 1,179 | 2,869 | |
| 1944 | D | 1,745 | 1,070 | 2,832 | |
| 1940 | D | 2,820 | 1,555 | 4,392 | |
| 1936 | D | 3,186 | 857 | 4,432 | |
| 1932 | D | 2,855 | 706 | 3,604 | |
| 1928 | D | 2,181 | 1,327 | 3,539 | |
| 1924 | R | 137 | 869 | 2,419 | |
| 1920 | R | 535 | 2,139 | 2,850 | |
| 1916 | D | 762 | 600 | 1,500 | |
| 1912 | D | 396 | 339 | 1,268 | |
| 1908 | R | 529 | 811 | 1,466 | |
| 1904 | R | 366 | 912 | 1,374 | |
| 1900 | R | 355 | 566 | 937 | |
| 1896 | D | 331 | 306 | 645 | |
| 1892 | R | 0 | 273 | 472 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Rolette County's outsized Democratic margins in a deep-red state reflect the political weight of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, whose reservation anchors the county's population and voting patterns.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Rolette County peaked at sixty points in 1932; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 1956 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 settled into deep Republican territory.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Rolette County's median household income of $59,517 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 24% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Linn County and Bayfield County.