One year after California’s electorate ended same-sex marriage in the Golden State, voters in Maine are preparing to decide whether to allow gay nuptials.
To avoid another defeat, supporters of same-sex marriage were ramping up their grassroots efforts in advance of Tuesday’s vote on the proposed “people’s veto.”
Only if the initiative, known as Question 1, fails can same-sex couples marry in Maine.
Jesse Connolly, campaign manager for “No on 1,” said his campaign is working on identifying supporters of same-sex marriage and ensuring they make it to the polls.
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“I think that we’re in as best a position as we could have hoped for heading into the final week, but we’re taking nothing for granted,” he said. “We have a lot of work to do and we’re continuing to execute all that work.”
Maine allows residents to vote by absentee for any reason, and Connolly said “No on 1” is asking supporters to vote early by absentee to help with volunteer efforts on Election Day.
Marty Rouse, national field director for the Human Rights Campaign, said there has been a groundswell of grassroots activity in Maine in the days leading up to the election.
“Wherever you go in the state, there is an active grassroots campaign against Question 1,” Rouse said. “The campaign, for over a year now, has done an absolutely terrific job of organizing at the grassroots level, identifying supporters of marriage equality and making sure their voices are heard.”
Recent polling data shows the race is a toss-up. One poll, published by Public Policy Polling on Oct. 20, found the race to be in a dead-heat.
Among those who responded, 48 percent supported Question 1 and another 48 percent said they were opposed. Four percent identified as undecided.
Connolly said the poll is “probably pretty accurate” and predicted “a razor-thin election.”
Full story, Washington Blade.
