Shirley
Incorporated 1834Named for Shirley, Massachusetts, hometown of Joseph Kelsey, the local state representative at the time of incorporation.
Voter Registration
Active voters, Secretary of State file of March 7, 2026Current enrollment
Registration history
Recent General Election Results
Referendums
YesNoShirley’s vote. Click a question for the statewide comparison.How Shirley Compares
Presidential margin vs. Maine
Democratic minus Republican share of the candidate vote. The gap between the lines shows how differently Shirley 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 2020–2024Shirley at a Glance
Shirley is a town in Piscataquis County, Maine, incorporated in 1834. It has an estimated 275 residents (2025), compared with 251 in the 2020 Census.
It is part of Congressional District 2, State Senate District 4, State House District 30, and County Commissioner District 1, in the North Woods Region.
In the 2024 presidential race, Donald Trump carried Shirley with 67.9% to 29.1% for Kamala Harris. That was a Republican margin of 38.8 points, against a Democratic margin of 6.9 points statewide. In the 2022 governor’s race, Paul LePage carried Shirley with 71.5% to 28.5% for Janet Mills. In the 2024 U.S. Senate race, Demi Kouzounas carried Shirley with 50% to 45.1% for Angus King (Unenrolled). On the Partisan Electoral Alignment Index (Partisan EAI), it ranks as the 69th most Republican of 504 towns.
As of March 7, 2026, Shirley had 180 active registered voters: 14.4% Democrats, 40% Republicans, 40% unenrolled, and 5.6% Green Independents. The median household income is $61,875 and the median home value $219,600, against $74,733 and $296,600 statewide.
Below the summary figures, this page has election results back to 1868 (with county figures from 1838), 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.