[2] The county was officially organized on December 14, 1818, and was named after President James Madison.

Of adults 25 years of age and older in Madison County, 68.6% possesses a high school diploma while 7.8% holds a bachelor's degree as their highest educational attainment.

Both the Republican and Democratic parties split control of the local elected offices in Madison County.

The 27th Senatorial District includes all of Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Madison, Mississippi, Perry and Scott counties.

Smith won a special election on Tuesday, June 4, 2013, to finish out the remaining term of U.S. Representative Jo Ann Emerson (R-Cape Girardeau).

In the 2008 Missouri Presidential Preference Primary, voters in Madison County from both political parties supported candidates who finished in second place in the state at large and nationally.

Senator Hillary Clinton (D-New York) received more votes (a total of 971) in Madison County during the 2008 primaries than any candidate from either party.