Editing Thurston County, Nebraska (section)

==Politics==
{{PresHead|place=Thurston County, Nebraska|whig=no|source1=<ref>[http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS Election Results]</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP/Whig vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|1,125|978|20|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|1,180|1,122|77|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|1,043|919|126|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|939|1,247|29|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|972|1,120|34|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|2004|Democratic|1,154|1,212|21|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|1,040|924|118|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|835|962|317|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|898|865|494|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|1,105|1,225|10|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|1,410|1,077|13|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|1,454|726|176|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|1,290|1,021|82|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|1,565|840|0|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|1,341|802|210|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|1,194|1,700|0|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|1,757|1,315|0|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|1,722|1,406|0|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|1,918|1,174|0|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|1,149|1,890|0|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|1,584|1,632|0|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|1,973|2,039|0|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|1,195|2,676|191|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|739|3,273|44|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1928|Democratic|1,538|1,837|18|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|1,210|1,191|838|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|1,667|925|40|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|717|1,255|37|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|437|834|567|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|895|734|28|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|757|539|46|Nebraska}}
{{PresFoot|1900|Republican|803|656|14|Nebraska}}
In recent decades, Native Americans in the United States have become more active politically, voting in increasing numbers in local, state, and national elections. In 2004, Thurston, a majority-Native American county, was the only one in Nebraska with a majority voting for the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] presidential candidate, [[John Kerry]].

Voter interest was high, and the [[2008 United States presidential election|2008 presidential election]] was preceded by a major voter registration drive.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}} The majority of voters in Thurston County voted for Democratic candidate [[Barack Obama]], making the county one of four such in the state. In the [[2012 United States presidential election in Nebraska|2012 presidential election]], Thurston was the only Nebraska county that voted for Obama in his successful re-election bid.<ref>[http://electionresults.sos.ne.gov/resultsCTY.aspx?type=SW&rid=650&osn=101&map=CTY "Unofficial Results: General Election - November 6, 2012".] [http://www.sos.ne.gov/dyindex.html Nebraska Secretary of State.] Retrieved December 4, 2012.</ref> In [[2016 United States presidential election in Nebraska|2016]], the county flipped, voting for Republican Donald Trump. In the [[2024 United States presidential election in Nebraska|2024 presidential election]], Trump expanded on his previous performances, carrying it by about 7%.

The predominantly Native American communities in the east of the county (Winnebago, Walthill and Macy) lean Democratic, but despite them having more population altogether than the Republican predominantly white communities in the west of the county, they sport lower voter turnouts.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Bloch|first1=Matthew|last2=Buchanan|first2=Larry|last3=Katz|first3=Josh|last4=Quealy|first4=Kevin|date=July 25, 2018|title=An Extremely Detailed Map of the 2016 Presidential Election|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/upshot/election-2016-voting-precinct-maps.html,%20https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/upshot/election-2016-voting-precinct-maps.html|access-date=July 15, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Park|first1=Alice|last2=Smart|first2=Charlie|last3=Taylor|first3=Rumsey|last4=Watkins|first4=Miles|date=February 2, 2021|title=An Extremely Detailed Map of the 2020 Election|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/upshot/2020-election-map.html|access-date=July 15, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>