All eyes turn to Maine

[Ole Glory]

Nov 3, 2009 10:26 am US/Eastern

Maine Voters Get Final Say On Gay Marriage

DAVID SHARP, Associated Press Writer

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) ― Maine residents streamed into the polls to have the final say Tuesday on the state's gay marriage law in a closely watched race with national implications. Also on the ballot were two tax referendums and proposals to repeal school district consolidation and expand the state's medical marijuana law.

The level of out-of-state money underscored the implications of the vote to repeal Maine's gay marriage law, which was adopted last spring by the Legislature and signed by Gov. John Baldacci.

A repeal of the law would mark a setback for the gay-rights movement and mark the first time voters overturned a gay-marriage law enacted by a legislature. If voters uphold the law, it will be the first time the electorate in any state has endorsed marital rights for same-sex couples.

"If we don't win, then Maine will have its place in infamy because no state has ever voted for homosexual marriage. It's been legislated, but no state has ever voted it," said Chuck Schott of Portland, who stood near a polling place in Maine's biggest city with a "Yes on 1" sign.

Others didn't share his opinion.

"I would love to understand, get a competent answer from the 'Yes' people, how is it going to damage their marriage if two gay people marry," said Jack McGovern of Augusta.

Apart from Maine, five states have legalized same-sex marriage — Iowa, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire. But all did so via legislation or court rulings, not through a popular vote.

Both campaigns worked vigorously — with rallies, phone calls, e-mails and ads — to be sure their supporters cast votes in the off-year election.

Voting appeared to be steady, but not heavy, in the state's three largest cities, according to voting officials. Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap said Tuesday the turnout at the polls could be higher than his early prediction of 35 percent of eligible voters.

"It's busy for an off-year election," Dunlap said. "It could turn out to be heavier than we predicted if things hold throughout the day."

In Portland, more than 20 volunteers were sifting through boxes of absentee ballots at City Hall. All told, more than 100,000 people voted either via absentee ballot or early voting in nine communities that were participating in an early voting experiment, Dunlap said.

While gay marriage was top item on Tuesday's ballot, Maine residents also voted on a pair of tax-related proposals to institute spending controls tied to inflation and to reduce the state's excise tax on automobiles, trucks and sport utility vehicles.

Maine is one of the most heavily taxed states, but some voters expressed reluctance to do anything that would reduce government revenues during a recession.

Jessica Forrest, a special education teacher in Gorham, said she's already dealing with a budget freeze that went into effect last month, so she was not supportive of the spending caps that would be imposed by the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. "We're already facing budget cuts," she said.

Other proposals would scuttle the state school consolidation law that went into effect two years ago. Critics say the law reduces or eliminates local control over schools. More than 100 rural schools districts have declined to comply with the law, and face potential state funding reductions.

The medical marijuana proposal would expand an existing state law by allowing allow dispensaries from which the drug could be distributed to patients. The current law allows people with certain illnesses to possess marijuana, but there's no legal way for them to obtain it.

As for gay marriage, polls indicated the race was close, and the campaigns together had 4,000 volunteers working on the get-out-the-vote efforts. It appeared that many voters were receptive to the message of gay marriage advocates that it was an issue of equality.

"I think everybody deserves a shot in life, you know," said Chuck VanDerburgh of Portland. "It's not like the old days where it was, what do you call it, like a black robe? I think we've got to move with time. It just doesn't matter. There are bigger and better things."

___

Associated Press writers Glenn Adams and Clarke Canfield contributed to this report.