Maine Secretary of State Charlie
Summers on Thursday released a draft referendum question on gay
marriage for the November ballot.
According to the Bangor
Daily News, the draft question reads, “Do you want to allow
same-sex couples to marry?”
Gay marriage activists who gathered
sufficient signatures to put the issue back on the ballot, suggested
the question should read: “Do you favor a law allowing marriage
licenses for same-sex couples, and that protects religious freedom by
ensuring that no religion or clergy be required to perform such a
marriage in violation of their religious beliefs?”
After a 30 day public comment period,
Summers has 10 days to craft the final wording of the question.
Opponents of marriage equality in 2009
narrowly repealed a marriage law approved by lawmakers with a
“people's veto,” known at Question 1.
If approved, Maine would become the
first state to approve equal marriage rights for gay and lesbian
couples through a popular vote. A poll released
in April before President Barack Obama made his historic
endorsement of such nuptials found a majority (58%) of Maine voters
support marriage equality.
(Related: Maine
churches fundraise against gay marriage on Father's Day.)