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# Gay Marriage Legalized in Three More States
- URL: https://ivn.us/gay-marriage-legalized-in-three-more-states/
- Published: 2012-11-07T08:58:17.000Z
- Updated: 2026-06-22T19:35:20.000Z
- Author: Michael Abrams
- Tags: News

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/2026/02/gay-marriage.jpg)](https://ivn.us/2012/11/07/gay-marriage-legalized-in-three-more-states/gay-marriage-3/)

32 states have previously put the right for same-sex couples to receive civil marriages to a popular vote, and 32 times the measures were voted down. Yesterday, however, three states became the first to successfully pass ballot measures to make gay marriage legal: Maryland, Maine, and Washington.

Maryland’s proposition passed with close approval, at 52%. The measure’s passage is consistent with pre-election [polling](http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/polling/samesex-marriage-favored-maryland-likely-voters/2012/10/18/913e11fa-1918-11e2-ad4a-e5a958b60a1e%5Fpage.html?ref=ivn.us). The Maryland State legislature [approved](http://www.inquisitr.com/197309/maryland-governor-martin-omalley-to-sign-civil-marriage-protection-act/?ref=ivn.us) same-sex marriage in February of 2012, leaving it to be implemented if approved in a voter referendum. The bill will take affect on the first day of 2013.

Maine’s measure passed with a more comfortable margin, but remained close with 53% voting “yes” and 46% voting “no.” Like Maryland’s, the results were consistent with [polling](http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2011/PPP%5FRelease%5FME%5F1102.pdf?ref=ivn.us) which found a slight majority of Mainers in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage. Unlike in Maryland, Maine’s initiative did not [start as legislation](http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/articles/2011/07/01/gay%5Fmarriage%5Fsupporters%5Fplan%5Freferendum%5Fin%5Fmaine/?camp=pm&ref=ivn.us).

Washington’s legislation passed with 51% of the vote. Similar to the process in Maryland, Washington’s state legislature passed a law to make gay marriage legal only upon popular [vote](http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2012/06/anti-gay-marriage-measure-qualifies-for-wash-state-ballot/1?ref=ivn.us#.T%5FFHarWe4j8). Unlike in the other two states, [polling](http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2011/PPP%5FRelease%5FWA%5F1103.pdf?ref=ivn.us) in Washington indicated a more comfortable support for the measure.

The 2012 elections will be remembered for many things. Outside of the focus on the presidential race, the country appears to have arrived at a turning point in the battle for marriage equality. Putting same-sex legalization measures to a popular vote used to be a surefire strategy for defeating the law. But it appears that the tide is turning.

*Editors Note: An additional measure, to define marriage as between a man and a woman, failed in Minnesota. Marriage equality activists see this as a [fourth victory for the movement](https://ivn.us/editors-blog/2012/11/06/same-sex-marriage-legal-in-maryland-and-maine/).*