After having its petition cleared by the Board of Elections, the alliance began working to ensure that people are “well-informed” about the issue and have the opportunity to make their voices heard.
More than a dozen sites throughout the state are being used to distribute petitions, and county coordinators are helping to schedule training sessions, which have prepared more than 1200 people to conduct petition drives in the last few days alone.
These training sessions will continue, and petition drives will be held in full force after Easter.
McCoy said that the response so far has been both positive and energetic.
“Around the state, people are engaged,” he said, explaining that the overwhelming response during the debate over the legislation has carried over after its passage. Thousands of voters requested petitions within days of the bill’s approval.
“It is clear that while the opponents of marriage have been seeking influence from an elite group of politicians and supporters, the average citizens of Maryland continue to believe in the time-tested, unalterable definition of marriage,” commented Mary Ellen Russell, executive director of the Maryland Catholic Conference.
In a statement when the referendum campaign was announced, she explained that the conference believes its partnership with the efforts of the Maryland Marriage Alliance places it in the best position “to win for marriage in November.”
McCoy said that work will continue in coming weeks to make sure that the measure is included on the ballot in the fall.
“We want to ensure that the people of Maryland have the opportunity to vote on this issue,” he said.
Michelle La Rosa is deputy editor-in-chief of Catholic News Agency. She has worked for CNA since 2011. She studied political philosophy and journalism at the University of Dallas.