Maine Poll Shows Marriage Equality Ahead 55-36

The momentum in the battle to legalize marriage equality in Maine at the ballot box is with the pro-equality side as yet another poll shows that voters there are favorably disposed to supporting the measure. A new poll from WBUR in Maine shows 55% say they favor "allowing marriage licenses for same-sex couples that protects religious freedom by ensuring that no religion or clergy be required to perform such a marriage in violation of their religious beliefs" while only 36% say the oppose such a law. The margin of error in the poll is 4.4 points and 9% of respondents say they "don't know" or refuse to answer the question. The vast majority of such respondents are expected to oppose marriage equality


Unfortunately, the actual question on the November 2012 Maine voters will actually see is unlikely to be as detailed as in the poll. The Republican Secretary of State (who happens to be running for the United States Senate) has proposed that the ballot question be: "Do you want to allow same-sex couples to marry?"


This is an absolutely unacceptable version of the question because it doesn't even accurately reflect what the ballot measure would do. Same-sex couples can get "married" wherever they want; what people are asking for is for the state to end the prohibition on issuing civil marriage licenses to same-sex couples and for the state to recognize the legal validity of the civil marriages of same-sex couples just like the civil marriages of opposite-sex couples.