In 2012, voters in Maine voted at the ballot box to allow same-sex couples to legally marry, as the result of a petition brought by interested citizens. The result of the vote was that the state began to issue marriage certificates to same-sex couples following certification of the ballot results. What type of direct democracy best describes the events in Maine?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The events in Maine were a result of an initiative, which is a type of direct democracy where citizens collect signatures to place a proposed law on the ballot for voters to decide. In this case, the citizens brought a petition to allow same-sex couples to legally marry, and voters directly voted on the issue at the ballot box.

In 2012, Voters in Maine Voted at the Ballot Box