Maine Question 1, 2009
Encyclopedia
Maine Question 1 was a voter referendum
conducted in Maine
in 2009 that repealed a state law that legalized same-sex marriage
in the state. The measure passed 53%-47% on November 3, 2009.
. The bill reached the full Senate
, where an amendment to put the issue up for a voter referendum was rejected 22-13. On April 30, 2009, the Senate passed the bill 20-15. On May 5, 2009, the Maine House of Representatives
passed the bill 89-57, and on the following day, Gov. John Baldacci
signed the bill into law to take effect 90 days thereafter.
for the veto effort; Schubert Flint had worked on the Proposition 8 effort in California
. Meanwhile, in July 2009, No on 1/Protect Maine Equality was formed to oppose the veto. On September 2, 2009, the Secretary of State of Maine
verified that the opponents had turned in enough valid signatures; the repeal effort was officially placed on the ballot.
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
conducted in Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
in 2009 that repealed a state law that legalized same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage in Maine
Same-sex marriage in Maine is currently unrecognized. A bill to allow same-sex marriages in Maine was signed into law on May 6, 2009, by Governor Baldacci following legislative approval, but opponents successfully petitioned for a referendum on the issue, putting the law on hold before it went into...
in the state. The measure passed 53%-47% on November 3, 2009.
State law in question
In April 2009, a bill to allow same-sex couples to legally marry in Maine was introduced in the Maine LegislatureMaine Legislature
The Maine Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. It is a bicameral body composed of the lower house Maine House of Representatives and the upper house Maine Senate...
. The bill reached the full Senate
Maine Senate
The Maine Senate is the upper house of the Maine Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. The Senate currently consists of 35 members representing an equal number of districts across the state, though the Maine Constitution allows for "an odd number of Senators, not less than...
, where an amendment to put the issue up for a voter referendum was rejected 22-13. On April 30, 2009, the Senate passed the bill 20-15. On May 5, 2009, the Maine House of Representatives
Maine House of Representatives
The Maine House of Representatives is the lower house of the Maine Legislature. The House consists of 151 members representing an equal amount of districts across the state. Each voting member of the House represents around 8,450 citizens of the state...
passed the bill 89-57, and on the following day, Gov. John Baldacci
John Baldacci
John Elias Baldacci is an American politician who served as the 73rd Governor of the U.S. state of Maine from 2003 until 2011. A Democrat, he also served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003....
signed the bill into law to take effect 90 days thereafter.
People's veto campaign
On May 7, 2009, opponents of the law filed the necessary paperwork to launch a people's veto campaign to put the law up for a vote in the November elections, giving them until 90 days after the legislature adjourned to collect at least 55,087 valid signatures to put the measure on the ballot. In June 2009, Stand for Marriage Maine, the coalition group leading the veto effort, announced it had hired Schubert Flint Public Affairs to handle public relationsPublic relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
for the veto effort; Schubert Flint had worked on the Proposition 8 effort in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Meanwhile, in July 2009, No on 1/Protect Maine Equality was formed to oppose the veto. On September 2, 2009, the Secretary of State of Maine
Secretary of State of Maine
The Secretary of State of Maine is elected by the Legislature in that U.S. state. The Maine Secretary of State is responsible for administering elections, the Maine State Archives, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and for chartering corporations. The Secretary of State is elected to no more than two...
verified that the opponents had turned in enough valid signatures; the repeal effort was officially placed on the ballot.
Polling
Question 1 will ask: "Do you want to reject the new law that lets same-sex couples marry and allows individuals and religious groups to refuse to perform these marriages?"- A Yes vote takes away the ability of same-sex couples to marry.
- A No vote keeps the ability of same-sex couples to marry.
| Date of opinion poll | Conducted by | Sample size Sample size Sample size determination is the act of choosing the number of observations to include in a statistical sample. The sample size is an important feature of any empirical study in which the goal is to make inferences about a population from a sample... (likely voters) |
Yes | No | Undecided | Margin of Error |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14-16 September 2009 | Research 2000 | 600 | 48% | 46% | 6% | ±4.0% |
| 23-27 September 2009 | Democracy Corps | 800 | 41% | 50% | 9% | ±3.5% |
| 30 September-7 October 2009 | Pan Atlantic | 401 | 42.9% | 51.8% | 5.3% | ±4.9% |
| 16-19 October 2009 | Public Policy Polling Maine | 1130 | 48% | 48% | 4% | ±2.9% |
| 20-22 October 2009 | Pan Atlantic | 400 | 42% | 53% | 4% | ±4.9% |
| 26-28 October 2009 | Research 2000 | 600 | 47% | 48% | 5% | ±4.0% |
| 31 October-1 November 2009 | Public Policy Polling Maine | 1133 | 51% | 47% | 2% | ±2.9% |
Results
The question posed on the ballot was, "Do you want to reject the new law that lets same-sex couples marry and allows individuals and religious groups to refuse to perform these marriages?" A vote of "Yes" would repeal the law, while a vote of "No" would uphold the law. The vote was held on November 3, 2009.Post-election
Just after midnight on election night, consultant Frank Schubert of Stand for Marriage Maine declared, "The institution of marriage has been protected in Maine and across this nation." The No on 1/Protect Maine Equality campaign conceded defeat two hours later. Supporters of same-sex marriage pledged to continue the fight, while opponents said they would work to introduce a constitutional amendment to keep marriage between one man and one woman.See also
- Same-sex marriage in MaineSame-sex marriage in MaineSame-sex marriage in Maine is currently unrecognized. A bill to allow same-sex marriages in Maine was signed into law on May 6, 2009, by Governor Baldacci following legislative approval, but opponents successfully petitioned for a referendum on the issue, putting the law on hold before it went into...
- Same-sex marriage in the United StatesSame-sex marriage in the United StatesThe federal government does not recognize same-sex marriage in the United States, but such marriages are recognized by some individual states. The lack of federal recognition was codified in 1996 by the Defense of Marriage Act, before Massachusetts became the first state to grant marriage licenses...