Washington state will become the first
state to issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples based on
voter approval.
Voters in Maine and Maryland joined
Washingtonians on November 6 in approving initiatives legalizing such
unions. But Maryland's law won't take effect until January 1, while
Maine's law is expected to come online 30 days after the results of
the election have been certified by the state.
The King County Recorder's Office in
Seattle will open just after midnight on December 6 to begin issuing
licenses to gay couples, King County Executive Dow Constantine
announced on Thursday.
Constantine told the AP that he'll be
in the office to sign the first marriage license.
With nearly 2 million residents, King
County is the state's most populous county, and the 14th
most populous in the United States.
Washington's three-day waiting period
means the state's first weddings won't begin until the weekend of
December 8.