Same sex marriage will be on 2012 ballot in Maine again

Activists in Maine said Thursday that the re-legalization of same sex marriage would be put to a statewide vote in 2012.

“Marriage is going to be decided at the ballot box,” Betsy Smith, Executive Director of Equality Maine, told Think Progress. “We feel very comfortable about winning, it’s the reason we made a decision to go.”

Maine is the only state in New England that does not allow same sex couples to enter into marriage or civil unions.

The state passed legislation in 2009 that would have allowed same sex couples to wed, but the law was repealed six months later by a statewide referendum.

Equality Maine, GLAAD and Maine Freedom to Marry launched a signature-gathering drive August 2011 in hopes placing the issue on the ballot again.

The coalition announced in November 2011 that it had collected more than 100,000 signatures, well over the 57,277 signatures required.