A majority of Maryland voters say they
would keep a recently approved gay marriage law if it were put up for
a vote, The
Baltimore
Sun reported.
The poll, commissioned by Marylanders
for Marriage Equality and conducted by Public Policy Polling, shows a
narrow majority (52%) of respondents say they would “probably” or
“definitely” keep the law, while 44 percent said they would
“probably” or “definitely” vote against a referendum on the
issue.
“Momentum is on the side of making
Maryland families stronger,” Kevin Nix, a spokesman for Marylanders
for Marriage Equality, told the paper.
Governor Martin O'Malley earlier this
month signed a gay marriage bill approved by lawmakers into law,
making Maryland the eighth state to legalize gay marriage.
Opponent have vowed to put the law up
for a vote in November. Nearly 56,000 valid signatures, one-third of
which would need to be submitted by May 31, with the remainder by
June 30, are needed to put the measure on the ballot. The campaign
is being organized by Maryland Marriage Alliance, which is supported
by the National Organization for Marriage (NOM).
Other recent polls by Gonzales and The
Washington Post have
put the question much closer to
50-50.