| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 3,399 | 8,509 | 12,048 | |
| 2020 | R | 4,101 | 8,215 | 12,433 | |
| 2016 | R | 3,741 | 6,763 | 10,775 | |
| 2012 | R | 4,543 | 5,981 | 10,671 | |
| 2008 | R | 4,593 | 6,264 | 11,001 | |
| 2004 | R | 4,389 | 5,436 | 9,925 | |
| 2000 | R | 3,766 | 4,450 | 8,374 | |
| 1996 | D | 3,493 | 3,054 | 7,100 | |
| 1992 | D | 3,968 | 3,317 | 8,343 | |
| 1988 | R | 3,629 | 3,738 | 7,401 | |
| 1984 | R | 3,051 | 3,798 | 6,875 | |
| 1980 | D | 4,049 | 2,361 | 6,632 | |
| 1976 | D | 4,700 | 1,791 | 6,522 | |
| 1972 | R | 1,349 | 3,266 | 4,737 | |
| 1968 | D | 1,425 | 1,213 | 5,839 | |
| 1964 | D | 2,689 | 1,448 | 4,137 | |
| 1960 | D | 3,064 | 845 | 3,909 | |
| 1956 | D | 2,985 | 339 | 3,581 | |
| 1952 | D | 2,776 | 970 | 3,746 | |
| 1948 | D | 254 | 23 | 1,064 | |
| 1944 | D | 789 | 19 | 819 | |
| 1940 | D | 1,007 | 32 | 1,039 | |
| 1936 | D | 1,265 | 0 | 1,288 | |
| 1932 | D | 1,184 | 0 | 1,194 | |
| 1928 | D | 1,020 | 65 | 1,085 | |
| 1924 | D | 681 | 19 | 737 | |
| 1920 | D | 868 | 13 | 881 | |
| 1916 | D | 900 | 8 | 911 | |
| 1912 | D | 1,095 | 0 | 1,108 | |
| 1908 | D | 1,481 | 9 | 1,494 | |
| 1904 | D | 665 | 21 | 686 | |
| 1900 | D | 1,366 | 8 | 1,374 | |
| 1896 | D | 2,473 | 337 | 2,811 | |
| 1892 | D | 2,359 | 138 | 2,498 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Abbeville's electorate has shifted steadily rightward over the past two decades, with the 2024 presidential margin exceeding 42 points — a pattern common to rural Piedmont counties as white working-class realignment deepened across upstate South Carolina.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Abbeville County peaked at ninety-nine 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 eight points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Abbeville County's median household income of $52,935 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 16% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Wayne County and Lawrence County.