Opposition to Same-Sex Marriage, Gambling Grows in Md.

Maryland voters appear to be evenly split now over whether to legalize same-sex marriage, marking a dramatic turnaround from where they stood just a month ago, according to a new poll conducted for the Baltimore Sun.
 

Just last month, supporters of the marriage ballot initiative were leading in a poll by OpinionWorks for the Sun by a margin of 49 percent to 39 percent.
 

But apparently a strong advertising campaign against the Nov. 6 ballot question, and increasing opposition from black ministers, has turned the question into a dead heat. According to the Sun, African-Americans who had supported the measure or were undecided are now coming out against it with a week left to go before the election.
 

At the same time, opposition to Democratic Gov. Gov. Martin O'Malley's plan to expand gambling in the state has also eroded. The poll of 801 voters taken Oct. 20-23 found that most voters seem to be ready to reject the gambling question by 54 percent to 39 percent margin, the Sun reported Monday.
 

"It comes down to turnout," Steve Raabe, president of OpinionWorks, told the Sun, nothing that both the marriage and gambling questions are strongly opposed by older voters and churchgoers, two groups that usually be counted on to vote.