It’s official. Marriage equality went 4 for 4 in the ballot initiatives during the presidential election. Washington is the final state to submit its results, upholding the same-sex marriage bill that was signed into law by Gov. Christine Gregoire in February 2012. It follows marriage equality laws in Maine and Maryland, and a denial to a constitutional ban against same-sex marriage in Minnesota.
The delay was due to the fact that Washington is a vote-by-mail state, so all ballots with a November 6 postmark had to be counted, meaning some were not counted until today. With 60 percent of the vote counted, Referendum 74 already has the support of the majority, making it impossible to overcome the 52-28 percent spread.
“This is a clear win,” said Washington United for Marriage campaign manager Zach Silk. “We have run the numbers every which way, and we can now confidently say that we have won. This is an historic day for Washington, an historic day for our country and, most of all, for families across the state who have dreamed of this day and the wedding celebrations to come.”
