Maine will become the first state to
legalize gay marriage through the ballot box this fall, according to
a new survey.
Supporters have returned the issue to
the ballot box after voters in 2009 narrowly repealed a gay marriage
law approved by lawmakers with a “people's veto,” known as
Question 1.
The Public
Polling Policy survey released on Wednesday found a majority
(54%) of Maine voters think that gay marriage should be legal, while
41 percent think it should not.
“And when we asked about the issue
using the exact language voters will see on the ballot this fall,
they say they're inclined to support the referendum by a 47-32
margin,” pollsters said in reporting their findings.
Support for the institution among
Democrats has increased 7 percentage points since 2009, from 71
percent to 78 percent. Support has also grown among independents,
from 52 percent to 57 percent. Republican support, however, remains
where it was three years ago.
The poll comes on the heels of last
week's announcement that the
Diocese of Maine will not campaign against the referendum.
Instead, the Roman Catholic church will teach Catholics about how it
defines marriage.