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A new poll released by the Portland Press Herald paints a rosy picture of Maine, where a now-whopping 57 percent of voters favor marriage equality rights for same-sex couples and only 35 percent stand opposed.
But that doesn't mean we should let down our guard.
Details follow.
The Morning Sentinel is cautious about the news:
The 22-point lead is clearly good news for backers of the ballot initiative. But, experts say, the margin of support is certain to be much smaller by Election Day.
Voters may not always say how they truly feel about gay rights, and they often are more supportive of change several months before an election than they are in the voting booth, said James Melcher, associate professor of political science at the University of Maine in Farmington.
Advertising efforts have helped to defeat same-sex marriage in Maine in the past, and advertising has yet to begin on either side.
Some polls in the months before Maine's gay-marriage referendum in November 2009 suggested that the same-sex marriage law passed by the Legislature might survive a repeal effort, but voters ultimately struck down the law, 53 percent to 47 percent.
Still, this new poll shows broad support for equality among all age groups, including a split among voters 65 and older that leaves reason to remain optimistic in the fight for Maine.
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