Opponents of Washington state’s new gay marriage law want voters to select “no” on the November 2012 ballot. And also “yes.” That seeming paradox stems in competing efforts launched this week by two groups dedicated to the cause of keeping Washington from joining six other states and the District of Columbia from legalizing same-sex matrimony.
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They have until June 6 to gather the 120,577 valid signatures needed to secure a spot on the 2012 ballot. If the referendum qualifies, the gay marriage statute — already on hold until June 7 under the standard waiting period for new laws — would be kept from taking effect before the election. A majority of “no” votes on the referendum question in November would strip the new law from the books altogether.
But Thursday morning, a different repeal coalition, Protect Marriage Washington 2012, plans to start collecting signatures for Initiative 1192, asking voters to say “yes” to a measure that would define marriage as between one man and one woman. In contrast to a statewide referendum, initiatives have until July 6 to obtain 241,154 signatures, and only the referendum can delay the gay marriage law from taking effect before the election.
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