Smallest county to go for Kerry?

[memphis]

Right now, I'm thinking its Issaquena, MS. Census Bureau says they have less than 2000 people. They also say they've lost 20% of their population since 2000!

[memphis]

San Juan, CO has a population of just 578. That one's going to be hard to beat.

[memphis]

Kennedy County - TX.

Kerry won with 85 votes, to Bush's 82.

Yeah, that must be it. Just 402 people in the whole county. Really makes you wonder how a local government can function with so few people.

[memphis]

The county in TN with the fewest votes cast (VanBuran) also went for Kerry. It's also 99.2% white.

[memphis]

Kennedy County - TX.

Kerry won with 85 votes, to Bush's 82.

Yeah, that must be it. Just 402 people in the whole county. Really makes you wonder how a local government can function with so few people.

Consider all the incorporated rural towns and villages that have 400 or fewer persons. Most of them have local governments that are working fine. In comparison with Kennedy Co, I would expect that the only substantial difference is the extent of the small-population county compared to a town.

I'm sure they know what they're doing, but it's hard to see how a local gov't could run a school, and road maintenance, and a health department, and a police force, and a driver's license center and a million other things when there are only a few hundred people altogether.

[memphis]

I'm sure they know what they're doing, but it's hard to see how a local gov't could run a school, and road maintenance, and a health department, and a police force, and a driver's license center and a million other things when there are only a few hundred people altogether.

Driver's licenses are usually handled at the State level, not local.  Also in South Carolina at least, road maintenance is largely a State not a local responsibility.  For example, the residential cul-de-sac I live in is officially a State secondary road, so there's no need for local government to handle roads.

Even if the state is writing the checks, you still need people on the ground to do the work. Although I'll take your word for it, it seems really odd to me that the state of South Carolina takes care of your street. I guess if it works for your state, that's cool.