MAINE: Wording Of Marriage Equality initiative Set

The final wording for the question of the ballot initiative that Maine voters will see in November which would enact marriage equality has been set. The initial language proposed by the Secretary of State Charlie Summers (a Republican who opposes marriage equality and who is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Olympia Snowe) was "Do you want to allow same-sex couples to marry?" The preferred language of Mainers United for Marriage was "Do you favor a law allowing marriage licenses for same-sex couples that protects religious freedom by ensuring no religion or clergy be required to perform such a marriage in violation of their religious beliefs?" After public comment on the original language was largely negative, a new wording was released by Summers recently:

Do you want to allow the State of Maine to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples?

Although this language does not have any reference to the fact that the initiative text also includes specific religious protections, Mainers United for Marriage is not opposing it.

I would prefer that the word "civil" was included before marriage, but I think the focus on marriage licenses is helpful to the cause of marriage equality, because that is really the crux of the matter; it's about whether the government bureaucracy will stop discriminating on which couples it issues marriage licenses to.

Hat/tip to LGBT Think Progress

POLL: Maine Supports Marriage Equality 57-35

Maine has consistently been showing support for marriage equality above 50% (even accounting for the margin of error of the poll). Another poll in June had support at 55-36 while this month the poll shows supports is basically unchanged, with marriage equality ahead 57-35. Polls in April 2012 (58.2-39.9) and March 2012 (54-41) also indicated strong support for marriage equality. When they announced in January 2012 the campaign to win marriage at the ballot box in Maine LGBT activists revealed that their own polling at the time showed support at 54-42.

Looks like we have a very good chance to continue to have more states and American citizens living with marriage equality at the end of the year then at the beginning of it. You can support the effort by contacting Mainers United for Marriage

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.

POLL: Maine Marriage Equality Support at 58%

A new poll from the Maine People's Resource Center public opinion survey (conducted March 31st to April 2nd 2012) shows that 7 months before there will be a referendum on whether to legalize marriage equality in that state, a solid majority support the change in the law.

Specifically 58.2% of Maine voters strongly favor (43.7%) or somewhat favor (14.5%) equal marriage rights while 39.9% strongly oppose (28.2%) or somewhat oppose (11.7%). A mere 2% are "not sure" of their position. it should be noted that the top line 58/40 result is not a significantly significant difference from two recent polls of 54/41 (PPP, March 2012) or 54/42 (Equality Maine, December 2012). The new poll has a margin of error of ±3.11 percentage points (993 registered voters).

What's striking about this figure is that the marriage equality supporters are stronger in both intensity categories. This is an incredibly important characteristic, and if it is maintained through the slog of a bitterly contested campaign, should bode well for Maine becoming the first state where voters have affirmatively supported marriage equality in a public referendum. It should be noted that in Maine, the choice to go to the ballot was made by marriage equality supporters. So far, public polling keeps on supporting that this was the correct decision to make.

The campaign to enact marriage equality is being run by Mainers United for Marriage Equality,which was launched last week.

Go Maine!

Mainers United for Marriage Launches!

AUGUSTA – Today, Freedom to Marry joined Maine families and organizations in launching Mainers United for Marriage, the campaign to make Maine the first state to win the freedom to marry through a ballot measure, to be voted on this November. 

 

Marc Solomon, National Campaign Director of Freedom to Marry, released the following statement:

 

“Freedom to Marry is proud to be a leader in Mainers United for Marriage, the campaign to secure the freedom to marry for all of Maine’s loving and committed couples.  This campaign has been more than two years in the making, as volunteers and organizers have been making the case to Maine voters about why marriage matters to gay and lesbian couples, in the process growing public support to a solid majority of 54 percent.   Under the banner of Mainers United for Marriage, families and organizations, volunteers and our own staff will now ramp up and use every resource we can muster to explain to Maine voters about why now is the time to end the exclusion of loving, committed same-sex couples and their families from the protections and support that only marriage provides.  

 

“On a personal note, I am thrilled that Matt McTighe will be managing this campaign.  I’ve worked closely with Matt since 2006, when he served as my political director at MassEquality.   Matt is smart, creative, quick on his feet, extraordinarily skilled in making the case for the freedom to marry, and relentlessly determined to win.  We at Freedom to Marry commit ourselves to working closely with Matt and the impressive team that he’s assembling in order to bring about a resounding victory in November.”   

 

Maine advocates collected more than 100,000 signatures and submitted them to the Secretary of State in January in order to get the measure on the ballot.  

 

Winning marriage in Maine is one of Freedom to Marry’s priorities for 2012.  Freedom to Marry is providing strategic support, assistance in specific areas such as new media, and financial support through Freedom to Marry’s Win More States Fund, launched last Thursday to raise $3 million to win marriage in key battleground states this year. 

 

 

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Freedom to Marry is the campaign to win marriage nationwide. We are pursuing our Roadmap to Victory by working to win the freedom to marry in more states, grow the national majority for marriage, and end federal marriage discrimination. We partner with individuals and organizations across the country to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage and the protections, responsibilities, and commitment that marriage brings.

POLL: Majority of Maine Voters Want Marriage Equality

Joe.My.God highlights a new Public Policy Polling poll of Maine voters which has very encouraging news for supporters of marriage equality. As you may recall, Maine is trying to become the first state in the history of the United States to enact marriage equality by a public vote of the people. In 2009, Maine voters rejected a referendum on a marriage equality law called Question 1 by a margin of 53% to 47%.

However, the new poll from PPP shows that Maine voters now support a law allowing "marriage licenses for same-sex couples that protects religious freedom by ensuring no religion or clergy be required to perform such a marriage in violation of their religious beliefs" by a margin of 47% to 32% with 21% undecided.

The more important question is that in the more basic question of "In general, do you think same-sex marriage should be legal or illegal?" a whopping 54% say it should be illegal compared to 41% who say it should be illegal.

Happily, the margin of error is a mere ±2.8 points, so this demonstrates a clear majority of Maine voters support marriage equality. This does not guarantee that the forces of good will win the electoral campaign to enact marriage at the ballot boxm, but it dramatially illustrates the difference in the terrain LGBT advocates now face in making their case for marriage equality to all voters.

MAINE: Back To The Ballot For Marriage Equality

As expected, Equality Maine announced today that they have decided to place a measure on the November 2012 ballot which would enact marriage equality. This is a big deal, because in 2009 after an expensive Proposition 8-inspired campaign in which both sides spent over $9 million combined, Maine voters rejected a marriage equality measure enacted by the state legislature by voting down Question 1 53% to 47%.

From the press release:

Augusta – Today, advocates for allowing same-sex couples to legally marry in Maine announced plans for a Citizens Initiative to enact a marriage equality law, delivering more than 105,000 signatures from Maine voters who want the issue on the November 2012 ballot to the Secretary of State’s office.

The announcement follows two years of outreach and conversations with Mainers about the freedom to marry, statewide polling showing steadily increasing support for allowing same-sex couples to marry – which now stands at 54 percent – and intensive field organizing in preparation for the campaign.

“The number of signatures we gathered and the thoughtful conversations we’ve been having with voters tell us that Mainers are eager to speak on this question again,” said Betsy Smith, executive director of EqualityMaine. “Our polling shows a 54% majority of support for same-sex marriage in Maine. Many Mainers have changed their minds and want a chance to bring equality and fairness to our state.”

So Maine is one of the states where advocates for marriage equality will be playing offense in the fight to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from civil marriage. Others are Maryland, Washington and New Jersey.

There will be anti-equality efforts in North Carolina and Minnesota.

EQME Says They Have Signatures For 2012 Marriage Initiative

Game on! Equality Maine has announced that they have gathered twice as many signatures as needed to put an initiative on the November 2012 which would legalize marriage equality.

The specific ballot question language is:

Do you favor a law allowing marriage licenses for same-sex couples that protects religious freedom by ensuring no religion or clergy be required to perform such a marriage in violation of their religious beliefs?

The Portland Press-Herald reports:

Betsy Smith of EqualityMaine says 396 volunteers collected more than 36,000 signatures on Election Day, bringing the total number to 100,000. That's more than enough petitions to get gay marriage onto the statewide ballot if the group chooses to do so. Smith says the group will make its decision on a referendum in January. 

Maine is currently the only state in New England that doesn't allow either gay marriage or civil unions. Maine lawmakers approved a gay marriage law, but it was overturned by a statewide referendum in 2009.

Recent polls in Maine have shown support for marriage equality at 53%. Hopefully Maine goes forward with a pro-marriage equality measure in 2012, which will at least counter-balance the anti-marriage equality measures in Minnesota and North Carolina.