In Maine, supporters of same-sex marriage are looking for their
side's first honest statewide popular-vote victory (they
prevailed narrowly in Arizona in 2006 by raising fears about
elderly couples' joint checking accounts and then lost two years
later when a the traditional marriage ballot initiative was
revised to eliminate this red herring). Early returns -- just 70
of 608 precincts reporting -- show the "people's veto" of
same-sex marriage failing 53 percent to 47 percent, which would
mean that voters approve the legislature's redefinition of
marriage in their state.
UPDATE: With a little less than a quarter of the vote in, the
referendum is running 50-50 right now. This is shaping up to be a
close one, as expected.
UPDATE II: With 76 percent of the vote in, Maine is now voting 52
percent in favor of a referendum that would veto legislation
creating same-sex marriage. That's the same percentage by which
California approved Proposition 8 last year.
UPDATE III: The people's veto appears to have
passed.
