| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 17,175 | 23,407 | 41,249 | |
| 2020 | R | 16,803 | 21,591 | 39,066 | |
| 2016 | R | 13,258 | 17,890 | 33,274 | |
| 2012 | D | 16,290 | 16,141 | 32,837 | |
| 2008 | D | 18,588 | 15,534 | 34,766 | |
| 2004 | R | 16,151 | 17,634 | 34,174 | |
| 2000 | R | 13,796 | 14,792 | 29,482 | |
| 1996 | D | 13,355 | 11,347 | 27,975 | |
| 1992 | D | 12,466 | 10,357 | 30,237 | |
| 1988 | R | 10,668 | 14,522 | 25,400 | |
| 1984 | R | 8,853 | 16,426 | 25,445 | |
| 1980 | R | 9,248 | 14,451 | 25,824 | |
| 1976 | R | 10,366 | 13,615 | 24,302 | |
| 1972 | R | 7,159 | 13,903 | 21,531 | |
| 1968 | R | 7,304 | 10,676 | 20,607 | |
| 1964 | D | 11,336 | 8,120 | 19,504 | |
| 1960 | R | 7,082 | 12,903 | 20,096 | |
| 1956 | R | 5,678 | 13,291 | 19,063 | |
| 1952 | R | 5,309 | 13,231 | 18,659 | |
| 1948 | R | 4,082 | 9,511 | 14,004 | |
| 1944 | R | 5,002 | 10,951 | 16,037 | |
| 1940 | R | 5,625 | 11,571 | 17,297 | |
| 1936 | R | 6,720 | 9,110 | 16,655 | |
| 1932 | D | 7,223 | 6,954 | 14,641 | |
| 1928 | R | 2,643 | 9,325 | 12,050 | |
| 1924 | R | 1,646 | 7,384 | 10,320 | |
| 1920 | R | 1,988 | 6,904 | 9,192 | |
| 1916 | R | 3,225 | 4,302 | 7,776 | |
| 1912 | R | 1,994 | 2,101 | 7,242 | |
| 1908 | R | 2,313 | 4,531 | 7,215 | |
| 1904 | R | 1,634 | 5,254 | 7,230 | |
| 1900 | R | 3,235 | 4,892 | 8,331 | |
| 1896 | R | 3,982 | 4,510 | 8,682 | |
| 1892 | R | 2,182 | 3,788 | 7,008 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Stretching along Lake Michigan's eastern shore, Van Buren County is Michigan's leading producer of blueberries and grapes, and its rural farming communities have driven a steady rightward shift — the 2024 presidential margin reached R+15.1, up from closer margins a decade ago.
The county's recent history is a story of close margins. The Democratic margin reached sixteen points in 1964; the Republican margin reached fifty-six points in 1924. Most other elections have been decided by single-digit points.
Van Buren County's demographics — a population of 75,795, a 80% non-Hispanic-white share, a median household income of $68,114 — situate the county close to national averages on several dimensions. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of McDonough County and Jefferson County.