| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 826 | 2,771 | 3,655 | |
| 2020 | R | 917 | 2,880 | 3,849 | |
| 2016 | R | 792 | 2,655 | 3,648 | |
| 2012 | R | 1,321 | 2,286 | 3,663 | |
| 2008 | R | 1,454 | 2,036 | 3,547 | |
| 2004 | R | 1,415 | 2,342 | 3,774 | |
| 2000 | R | 1,411 | 1,968 | 3,491 | |
| 1996 | R | 1,589 | 1,684 | 3,732 | |
| 1992 | R | 1,449 | 1,714 | 4,239 | |
| 1988 | R | 1,787 | 1,951 | 3,779 | |
| 1984 | R | 1,559 | 2,618 | 4,202 | |
| 1980 | R | 1,235 | 2,825 | 4,354 | |
| 1976 | R | 1,868 | 2,590 | 4,555 | |
| 1972 | R | 1,490 | 2,819 | 4,359 | |
| 1968 | R | 1,463 | 2,753 | 4,425 | |
| 1964 | D | 2,905 | 1,977 | 4,884 | |
| 1960 | R | 1,949 | 3,290 | 5,241 | |
| 1956 | R | 2,083 | 3,226 | 5,310 | |
| 1952 | R | 1,603 | 3,800 | 5,418 | |
| 1948 | D | 2,365 | 2,257 | 4,698 | |
| 1944 | R | 1,943 | 2,640 | 4,601 | |
| 1940 | R | 2,306 | 3,166 | 5,487 | |
| 1936 | D | 3,397 | 1,834 | 5,333 | |
| 1932 | D | 3,661 | 1,452 | 5,187 | |
| 1928 | R | 2,172 | 2,486 | 4,711 | |
| 1924 | R | 685 | 2,033 | 4,678 | |
| 1920 | R | 1,090 | 3,547 | 4,684 | |
| 1916 | R | 1,244 | 1,412 | 2,762 | |
| 1912 | D | 1,087 | 530 | 2,792 | |
| 1908 | R | 1,181 | 1,367 | 2,580 | |
| 1904 | R | 940 | 1,565 | 2,580 | |
| 1900 | R | 1,304 | 1,599 | 2,949 | |
| 1896 | R | 1,421 | 1,475 | 2,929 | |
| 1892 | R | 1,190 | 1,192 | 2,552 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Ida County's small, rural population and agricultural economy have pushed its presidential margins steadily rightward over the past two decades, with the 2024 result exceeding 53 points — among the widest gaps recorded in the state.
The Democratic margin in Ida County peaked at forty-three points in 1932. By 1968 the county had flipped, voting Republican for the first time in many years. The 2024 margin was fifty-three points, the most Republican-leaning result in the county's modern history.
The economic context is the key. Ida County's median household income of $63,073 sits well below state and national norms, and 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The shift here is part of a broader realignment of working-class places across the country. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Pipestone County and Renville County.