Maine Sees Surge in Voter Registrations Ahead of November Election
Maine residents are stepping up to make their voices heard in the upcoming November election, with close to 23,000 new voter registrations received by the Maine Department of the Secretary of State so far this year. Among those registering are individuals with diverse political viewpoints, including those who are new to the state or new to voting altogether.
One such individual is Ralph Hodgkins, a longtime Florida resident who recently returned to Maine and registered as a Republican to support Donald Trump. On the other end of the political spectrum is Julie Chandler, who recently registered as a Democrat and plans to vote for Kamala Harris. Chandler cited the importance of this year’s election as her motivation for registering.
The surge in new registrations began in July and continued through August, with more than 9,600 people registering to vote in those two months alone. The Department of the Secretary of State does not track registrations by party or demographics, making it difficult to determine the exact composition of the new registrants.
Overall, Maine has approximately 955,285 active registered voters, with Democrats comprising 36%, Republicans at 30%, and the remaining voters unenrolled or registered with third parties. The increase in registrations may be attributed in part to excitement surrounding Harris joining the Democratic ticket in July.
Individuals like Orin Edwards of Gorham, who recently moved from North Carolina to Maine, are actively participating in the election process. Edwards, who supports Harris, expressed concerns about the current state of the Republican party and its candidate, Donald Trump. Regardless of political affiliation, Maine residents are recognizing the importance of casting their ballots in this year’s pivotal election.
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Photo credit www.centralmaine.com
