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Brad Shannon maintains this blog. He is political editor at The Olympian and can be reached at 360-753-1688 or bshannon@theolympian.com.

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UPDATE: Maine too close to call on same-sex vote; Washington next on R-71

• Published November 03, 2009

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The same-sex marriage measure in Maine was narrowly passing in early returns, presaging what could be the first such voter affirmation of gay partnerships in the country tonight.

Polls show that Washington's Referendum 71, which provides the rights of marriage to domestic partnerships, is likely to pass. But around the country, pro-gay measures have been rejected, and voters have upheld several one-man, one-woman marriage laws, including California's vote last year that rebuffed that state's move to recognize same-sex marriages.

The Associated Press initially was reporting this from Portland, Maine:

Early returns showed a close contest, as had been forecast. With 70 of 608 precincts reporting, the gay-marriage side had 53 percent to 47 percent for the other side.

A vote to uphold the law would mark the first time that the electorate in any state endorsed gay marriage. That could energize activists nationwide and blunt conservative claims that same-sex marriage is being foisted on states by judges or lawmakers over the will of the public.

In Washington, opponents of Senate Bill 5688 collected signatures to force a referendum on the expanded rights for same-sex couples and some heterosexual senior couples. But Protect Marriage Washington appeared to be bracing for an outcome either way today. In a statement, the group's leaders including Larry Stickney of Arlington said:

Our clear direction and our many successes have unequivocally shown that people of faith and social conservatives are not a "leaderless army milling about in a field", nor are they a movement that is "deflated and in disarray." To the contrary, people of faith and social conservatives have been revived as a political force in Washington.

R-71 has identified upwards of 200,000 people who are willing to take action to protect marriage, the family and children. It has also identified a legal team that has won victory after victory, a team that will now defend R-71 petition signers and their right to anonymous political speech before the United States Supreme Court.

It has caused new, non-conflicted, leadership to emerge and has forged alliances around deeply held beliefs and a commitment to take action.

Whether or not SB 5688 becomes law today, and we pray it does not, R-71 has defined has a diverse group of citizens willing to stand and risk, in defense of their deeply held core beliefs.

We should know more in an hour or two whether gay-rights activists break electoral ground tonight in either state.

"Maine may beat us out, and we hope they do," said Washington Families Standing Together spokesman Josh Friedes earlier today on behalf of the Approve 71 campaign.

Fifteen states and the District of Columbia recognize same-sex relationships in the law, according to the Human Rights Campaign, which backed the R-71 effort from its Washington, D.C., headquarters. If Washington voters uphold the Legislature’s work, this state will become one of five states and the District of Columbia that fully recognize same-sex couples through domestic partnerships or civil unions.

Ten other states have some level of recognition for same-sex relationships. Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa and Vermont recognizing same-sex marriages outright. Maine voters were leaning that way tonight, and New Hampshire’s recognition of marriages takes effect in January, the Human Rights Campaign says.

UPDATE: AP now says the Maine vote on Question 1 is too close to call.