Ralph Hodgkins recently registered to vote in Maine after he returned to the state from Florida, where he lived for over three decades while summering in Maine. He recently registered to vote here so he can cast a ballot for Donald Trump in November. Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer

Julie Chandler’s earliest memory of voting is of her father dragging her to a polling place the year she turned 18, registering her as a Republican and telling her whom to vote for.

From then on she had no interest in politics and didn’t really pay attention to elections – until this year.

Chandler, now 54, recently registered to vote as a Democrat. She said she plans to cast her ballot for Kamala Harris in November’s presidential election.

“The topics are just getting too important,” the Standish resident said. “Too many things are being taken away from people and too many things are changing. I’ve started paying attention and I don’t like where things are going. I chose to register this year so I can have a voice.”

Chandler is among thousands of Maine residents who are registering to vote ahead of the November election. The Maine Department of the Secretary of State has received close to 23,000 new voter registrations so far this year, including more than 5,400 in August alone.

The monthly number of new registrations declined after a small increase around the March presidential primaries. But the pace of new registrations has been on the upswing ever since and a surge of new registrations began in July and continued through August. More Maine residents registered to vote last month than in any month for the past year, including last November.

The department doesn’t ask people why they are registering, but at least some of those new registrations likely stemmed from excitement around Harris taking over the Democratic presidential ticket in July. Maine saw a spike in new voter registrations in July and August, with more than 9,600 people registering to vote in those two months alone.

The state has about 955,285 active registered voters, of which 36% are Democrats, 30% are Republicans, 29% are unenrolled and the remainder are registered with third parties. The department doesn’t track new voter registrations by party or by demographics such as age, race or gender, so it’s hard to know who exactly the newest registrants are.

Some people are registering to vote for the first time, while others had been registered in other states and are new to Maine. The state has been experiencing a population boom the last few years, driven in part by people leaving more populated states during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ralph Hodgkins, 91, recently moved back to Maine after living in Florida most of the year for the last 32 years. Hodgkins said he moved back to Maine for health reasons and registered to vote in Maine as a Republican. He said he is anxious to support Republican candidates up and down the ballot.

“I absolutely will vote for Trump,” said Hodgkins, who lives in Topsham. “I like the fact he gets it done. He’s on the right track on every issue.”

Hodgkins said he appreciates Trump’s tough stance on the southern border and generally agrees with him on most issues. “Being a Republican, his conservative views are very much at the heart of my vote,” he said.

Orin Edwards, of Gorham, also recently moved to Maine, coming from North Carolina in order to be closer to family. Edwards, 76, said he has voted in every election since he was eligible.

He registered as a Democrat and plans to support Harris, though he said he has also supported Republicans in the past.

“This time, Donald Trump is absolutely out of his gourd,” Edwards said. “I see him as a very bad candidate and think the Republican party needs to do something to clean up their act if they’re going to continue with people like Donald Trump and JD Vance.”

In Standish, Chandler said abortion rights in particular motivated her to get involved in this year’s election.

“I’m starting to have grandchildren, and I want their futures to be their choice, not somebody else’s choice,” she said.

Chandler registered to vote online after a cousin posted a link on Facebook explaining how to do it. She said the process was easy and she encouraged anyone who may be reluctant about registering to go for it.

“This isn’t just a young person’s election,” she said. “It’s everybody’s election. It’s not just women’s election. It’s everybody’s election. As we get older, sometimes we’re afraid to start something new. But people shouldn’t be apprehensive or scared to become a new voter.”