| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 365 | 1,376 | 1,764 | |
| 2020 | R | 373 | 1,433 | 1,836 | |
| 2016 | R | 334 | 1,391 | 1,818 | |
| 2012 | R | 575 | 1,242 | 1,848 | |
| 2008 | R | 718 | 1,247 | 2,011 | |
| 2004 | R | 668 | 1,482 | 2,187 | |
| 2000 | D | 1,419 | 565 | 2,031 | |
| 1996 | R | 803 | 1,187 | 2,268 | |
| 1992 | R | 785 | 1,130 | 2,546 | |
| 1988 | R | 1,101 | 1,461 | 2,578 | |
| 1984 | R | 846 | 2,030 | 2,886 | |
| 1980 | R | 803 | 2,066 | 3,066 | |
| 1976 | R | 1,477 | 1,510 | 2,994 | |
| 1972 | R | 1,307 | 1,806 | 3,119 | |
| 1968 | R | 1,136 | 1,650 | 3,012 | |
| 1964 | D | 1,563 | 1,466 | 3,029 | |
| 1960 | R | 1,397 | 1,872 | 3,269 | |
| 1956 | R | 1,453 | 1,804 | 3,257 | |
| 1952 | R | 937 | 2,262 | 3,199 | |
| 1948 | R | 1,367 | 1,402 | 2,778 | |
| 1944 | R | 1,146 | 1,558 | 2,704 | |
| 1940 | R | 1,608 | 2,002 | 3,610 | |
| 1936 | D | 1,721 | 1,289 | 3,237 | |
| 1932 | D | 2,658 | 1,394 | 4,105 | |
| 1928 | R | 1,397 | 2,430 | 3,841 | |
| 1924 | R | 690 | 1,727 | 3,198 | |
| 1920 | R | 655 | 1,511 | 2,474 | |
| 1916 | R | 801 | 905 | 1,782 | |
| 1912 | D | 826 | 0 | 1,695 | |
| 1908 | R | 655 | 851 | 1,650 | |
| 1904 | R | 170 | 943 | 1,397 | |
| 1900 | D | 594 | 592 | 1,207 | |
| 1896 | D | 567 | 451 | 1,026 | |
| 1892 | R | 70 | 526 | 1,183 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Hand County, a sparsely populated stretch of central South Dakota plains, has delivered Republican presidential margins above 50 points in consecutive cycles, reflecting the deep rural conservatism typical of the region's agricultural heartland.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Hand County peaked at forty-nine points in 1912; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 2004 election delivered the county to the Republican party for the first time in many years, by a margin of thirty-seven points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Hand County's median household income of $74,635 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Faulk County and Perkins County.