Understandably, the battle for marriage in Maine isn’t receiving nearly the media coverage as California received last year – when pro-family advocates successfully campaigned to have the biblical definition of marriage written into the state constitution, months after the state Supreme Court had mandated same-sex marriages. The stakes in Maine on Nov. 3, however, are every bit as important.

Question 1 in Maine is a referendum on a bill that the state legislature has already passed and the governor already signed – to permit same-sex couples in the state to enter into binding legal marriages. The legislation was passed despite the fact that Maine already has a domestic-partner law on the books. Pro-family activists quickly qualified the issue for the ballot, which essentially asks the people if they approve of their government’s action.

The issue is called a “people’s veto;” it’s not a proposed constitutional amendment, as many state marriage issues have been. The primary citizens’ group promoting passage of Question 1 is called Stand for Marriage Maine.

Same-sex marriage advocates smell victory in Maine. Both sides have brought veterans of last year’s California battle in as consultants, and one such adviser for the No on 1 battle, Paul Hogarth, has written on the Huffington Post Web site that “events in the last few days now point to what should be an historic victory on November 3rd (sic). . .what I’m seeing from the ‘Yes on 1’ campaign reminds me of where ‘No on 8’ was at this point last year – outgunned by the opposition, unable to control the message and at a loss about what to do.”

Hogarth and other same-sex marriage advocates have a vested interest in portraying their opposition as confused and inept, so his remarks must be taken with a grain of salt. But what if he’s right? Maine is already one of three states to have legislatively initiated same-sex marriage; it would be unfortunate for a poor campaign effort to make it the first state to receive approval by legislators, a governor and voters.

Arizona is the only place where voters have ever rejected a same-sex marriage issue at the polls, and they corrected their mistake last year. Homosexual activists from outside the state are pouring significant resources into Maine to see Question 1 defeated; if the Yes on 1 forces think being right on the issue (and they are) is enough to assure passage, they are likely to be proven wrong.

Will Maine become the second state to give voter approval to same-sex marriage? We pray not, and we’ll be watching the election returns with interest.