Of the 10 counties with the biggest reduction in voter turnout between 2012 and 2016, five flipped from supporting Democrat Obama in 2012 to supporting Republican Trump this year. Of the 10 counties with the biggest gains in voter turnout, all voted Republican in 2012 and stayed that way this year.
| County | Voter turnout in 2012 | Voter turnout in 2016 | Difference | How did the county vote in 2016? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swift | 71.0%0.710045962 | 66.6%0.665528562 | -4.5 points-0.0445174 | flipped |
| Lake | 77.4%0.773702032 | 74.1%0.740632054 | -3.3 points-0.033069977 | D |
| Freeborn | 69.1%0.691346351 | 65.9%0.658992806 | -3.2 points-0.032353546 | flipped |
| Red Lake | 65.0%0.650016218 | 62.1%0.621148232 | -2.9 points-0.028867986 | R |
| Lincoln | 68.9%0.688689565 | 66.2%0.661562021 | -2.7 points-0.027127543 | R |
| Martin | 68.3%0.683360158 | 65.7%0.656988981 | -2.6 points-0.026371177 | R |
| Mower | 63.2%0.631915542 | 60.6%0.605589957 | -2.6 points-0.026325585 | flipped |
| Winona | 65.5%0.654757922 | 62.9%0.628710032 | -2.6 points-0.02604789 | flipped |
| Faribault | 68.6%0.685999294 | 66.0%0.660310734 | -2.6 points-0.025688559 | R |
| Mahnomen | 57.0%0.570391496 | 54.9%0.548612912 | -2.2 points-0.021778584 | flipped |
