Maryland Split on Marriage

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A new Baltimore Sun poll found that Marylanders are split on the issue of same-sex marriage. Voters, they say, actually oppose the measure 54 percent to 39 percent. Most advocates suspect that the efforts to silence marriage equality is coming from seniors and the religious community in the state – both of which tend to come out to the polls in droves.

Interestingly, there’s a similar split over immigration issues. Maryland voters are evenly divided on the Dream Act, a law that would give some illegal immigrants access to in-state tuition rates, says the Sun, with 47 percent in favor and 45 percent opposed.

It’s disheartening that the major opposition is coming from other minority group.

“A month ago, the same-sex marriage question was ahead by 10 percentage points – 49 percent to 39 percent – in an earlier Sun poll. The contest is now a dead heat in part because some African-Americans who supported the measure or were undecided are now saying no,” the paper reports.

The poll found 50 percent of black voters oppose the measure.

Same-sex marriage measures have thus far been defeated in 32 states. Four states are considering it this time around, but it begs the question – should civil rights really be on the ballot at all?