Charleston
Incorporated 1811 as New CharlestownFirst named New Charlestown to tell it apart from Charlestown, Massachusetts. After Maine statehood removed the need, the name was shortened to Charleston in 1827.
Voter Registration
Active voters, Secretary of State file of March 7, 2026Current enrollment
Registration history
Recent General Election Results
Referendums
YesNoCharleston’s vote. Click a question for the statewide comparison.How Charleston Compares
Presidential margin vs. Maine
Democratic minus Republican share of the candidate vote. The gap between the lines shows how differently Charleston votes from the state.
Turnout in general elections
Ballots cast divided by active registered voters on election day. List maintenance shrinks the denominator in some years (for example 2022), which pushes the rate up.
Who Lives Here
American Community Survey 2020–2024Charleston at a Glance
Charleston is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, incorporated in 1811 as New Charlestown. It has an estimated 1,644 residents (2025), compared with 1,551 in the 2020 Census.
It is part of Congressional District 2, State Senate District 4, State House District 32, and County Commissioner District 2, in the North Woods Region.
In the 2024 presidential race, Donald Trump carried Charleston with 75.2% to 22.8% for Kamala Harris. That was a Republican margin of 52.4 points, against a Democratic margin of 6.9 points statewide. In the 2022 governor’s race, Paul LePage carried Charleston with 74.5% to 24.2% for Janet Mills. In the 2024 U.S. Senate race, Demi Kouzounas carried Charleston with 63.9% to 28.5% for Angus King (Unenrolled). On the Partisan Electoral Alignment Index (Partisan EAI), it ranks as the 20th most Republican of 504 towns.
As of March 7, 2026, Charleston had 831 active registered voters: 13.6% Democrats, 54.3% Republicans, 30.1% unenrolled, and 1.7% Green Independents. The median household income is $75,250 and the median home value $226,500, against $74,733 and $296,600 statewide.
Below the summary figures, this page has election results back to 1868 (with county figures from 1821), voter registration since 1954, referendum votes, turnout, and Census and American Community Survey figures. Sources are listed at the foot of the page and on the Data Sources page.