Same Sex Marriage Loses In The Pine Tree State
Gay marriage has been put to a vote and the voters seem to have said, “No.” Maine would have been the sixth state to offer full marriage equality. With 87% of districts reporting, the New York Times called the vote at 52.7% to 47.3% in favor of repealing the gay marriage law that passed in May. Local Portland TV station WCSH called the vote at about 1:15 AM as a loss for gay marriage supporters. But the Bangor Daily News late into the night still claimed the vote was too close to call. A total recount, which could take weeks, is likely. Also, the legislature certainly could take up another bill next year, and start the process again, but lawmakers might feel it politically imprudent given this loss.
Throughout the day, news outlets reported voter turnout and absentee ballots as heavy, which gay marriage supporters took as a positive sign. Some pegged turnout at 50% – a high number, especially for an off-year election. South Portland ran out of ballots at 5:30, and had to use photocopies. Although issues like medical marijuana were up for grabs, Maine’s Question 1, specifically, “Do you want to reject the new law that lets same-sex couples marry and allows individuals and religious groups to refuse to perform these marriages?” is what motivated voters from both sides to the ballot box.
This, following an historic May 5, 2009 vote by the Maine House, which, by a vote of 89-58, passed the gay marriage bill. The following day, Maine’s Democratic Governor John Baldacci, signed the bill, which had previously passed the Maine Senate by a 20-15 vote.
Then, on May 7, gay marriage opponents began a drive to get the law put on today’s ballot. In what is called a “people’s veto,” Stand For Marriage Maine, a Catholic Church group announced two months later, on July 9, it had the required number of signatures to force a referendum.
Maggie Gallagher’s National Organization for Marriage contributed $1,600,000, more than 60 percent of the funds used, against the gay marriage referendum. Another 20 percent, $550,000, reportedly came from the Roman Catholic Church’s dioceses.
Despite the deep pockets of a few anti-gay marriage benefactors, Protect Maine Equality, which has been working since 2005 to support same sex marriage, raised $4 million for the “No On 1” battle. Protect Maine Equality worked with over forty different groups, including religious organizations, and with thousands of volunteers went door-to-door and made thousands of calls to voters.
Maine’s U.S. Senators, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, voted via absentee ballots, but refused to announce which way they voted on gay marriage.
Public opinion polls over the past few months ran from 41% to 51% in opposition to a “No on 1” vote, which would return marriage to a one man, one woman status. But those in favor of “No on 1” were much more consistent, ranging only from 46% to 53%.
Although the state capitol of Augusta voted 47% to 53% against gay marriage, large cities like Bangor and Portland (73% to 27%) voted to support gay marriage.