Voters Decided On Gay Marriage Referendum Despite Controversial Campaign Ads
BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- It's coming down to the wire for the campaigns that have dominated Maryland's election year.
Political reporter Pat Warren has more on one of the hottest issues on the ballot.
Same-sex marriage is not only one of the most controversial issues, it's apparently one of the easiest for voters we talked to today to decide.
"Schools could teach that boys can marry boys," an ad urging voters to vote against same-sex marriage said.
"Question 6 has nothing to do with what's taught in the classroom," a campaign ad for gay marriage said.
Against a backdrop of campaign ad drama, voters eager to cast their ballots early come ready to wait. And they come armed with sample ballots already marked, questions already answered.
Warren: "Was it difficult to come to a decision on same-sex marriage?"
George Davis: "No, not at all. Zero."
"Not difficult, no," said another voter.
Still trying to sway potentially undecided voters, same-sex marriage and traditional marriage supporters are now locking horns over the wider effect upholding the law may have in schools.
"Take it from a teacher like me. Values are taught at home not in my classroom," an ad for same-sex marriage said.
The Maryland Marriage Alliance says otherwise.
"We're sending our kids off to schools and the teachers do teach values," Derek McCoy of the Maryland Marriage Alliance said. "They teach what's right, what's wrong, what's good for society, what's not."
"If Question 6 passes, same-sex marriage could be taught in local Maryland schools," an ad against same-sex marriage said.
"Those ads are totally false. They've been debunked as totally false and we've seen the same running of those unscrupulous ads in other states," Gov. Martin O'Malley said.
And voters WJZ talked to on Thursday say they've seen enough of all of it.
"I have multiple friends I believe need to be able to be committed to each other," Kimberly VonVleck said.
"I still believe that marriage is between a man and a woman, just the way its written in the Bible," Pauline Esoga said.
The campaigns continue, but its all in the hands of the voters now.
The polls are open until 9 p.m. on Thursday, and again from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, the last day of early voting.
The Board of Elections anticipates long lines at most of the early voting sites.
