Oregon Counties That Voted to Leave And Join Idaho (2020 – 2024)

Map created by reddit user seashellvalley760This map shows the results of votes in several Oregon counties between 2020 and 2024 on whether to leave the state of Oregon and join Idaho.

This is part of a movement known as the “Greater Idaho” movement. The map highlights counties where residents voted on this issue, with shades indicating the level of support for leaving Oregon.

Here’s a video explaining it:

 

Explanation of the Map:

• Red and Dark Orange Areas: These counties overwhelmingly voted to leave Oregon (with the darkest red indicating the highest percentage of support, 70-80%).
• Light Orange Areas: These counties supported leaving by a margin of 50-60%.
• Blue Areas: These counties voted to stay in Oregon, with 50-60% of voters opposing the idea of secession.
• White Areas: These counties either didn’t vote or had no relevant measures on the ballot.

Reason for Wanting to Leave Oregon:

The movement to shift the borders and allow these counties to join Idaho is driven largely by political, cultural, and economic differences between rural eastern Oregon and the more urban and liberal western parts of the state.

The main reasons behind this desire include:

1. Political Ideology: Eastern Oregon is more conservative, with many residents feeling that the policies and leadership of the state’s government, which is dominated by urban centers like Portland, do not reflect their values or priorities. Joining Idaho, a more conservative state, is seen as aligning better with their political and social beliefs.
2. Economic Concerns: There are economic grievances as well, with rural Oregonians arguing that they are overlooked in favor of the interests of urban areas, leading to a feeling of being economically left behind or neglected.
3. Local Autonomy: Residents in these areas often feel that they would have more local control and representation in Idaho, where they believe state governance would be more in line with their rural lifestyle and needs.

This map reflects a growing regional divide within Oregon, although any actual border change would require approval by the Oregon and Idaho state legislatures and the U.S. Congress—a process that would be politically challenging.

Nonetheless, the map highlights the level of discontent in these eastern counties and their desire for greater alignment with Idaho’s policies and governance.

However, it should not be underestimated how sparsely populated the rebel counties are. Lake County which is the darkest red county above only has 8,160 people.

As of July 2024, thirteen counties in Oregon had approved ballot measures in favor of Greater Idaho: Baker, Crook, Grant, Harney, Jefferson, Klamath, Lake, Malheur, Morrow, Sherman, Union, Wallowa, and Wheeler.

Reddit user LupusDeusMagnus, estimated that if you took all the counties that voted to leave and join Idaho:

According to my Wikipedia calculator, that’s 237,000 people. [out 4.233 million] Or 5.6% of the stare population. It’d knock the state population to just under 4M for a year or so.