Nov. 1, 2012—MapLight Voter's Edge for Maine, a nonpartisan guide to ballot measures, profiles the funding behind ballot Question 1: Same-Sex Marriage. The measure, if passed, would allow marriage licenses for same-sex couples and protect religious freedoms.
A MapLight analysis of campaign contribution data from the Maine Commission on Govermental Ethics & Election Practices shows $5.1 million has been raised on the "Yes" side and $1.7 million has been raised on the "No" side. The table below lists the top 10 contributors to the "Yes" and "No" sides for Question 1, and the pie charts show the geographic origins of the contributions.
The purpose of the MapLight Voter's Edge project is to provide a reliable, nonpartisan source for information about ballot measures. MapLight Voter's Edge shows each measure's Funding Data—a top 10 list of contributors; Summary Information—what a "YES" or a "NO" vote would mean; the projected financial impact of the proposition; campaign arguments by proponents and opponents; Endorsements; News; Editorials; and Advertisements.
TOP 10 CONTRIBUTORS TO YES ON QUESTION 1:
$5.1 million raised in total
| Rank | Contributor Name | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loeb, Daniel | $235,000 |
| 2 | Stryker, Jon | $225,000 |
| 3 | Freedom to Marry | $217,138 |
| 4 | Singer, Paul | $150,000 |
| 5 | Tepper, David | $150,000 |
| 6 | Civil Marriage Collaborative, A Project of the Proteus Fund |
$125,000 |
| 7 | EqualityMaine | $107,745 |
| 8 | National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund |
$103,904 |
| 9 | Silicon Valley Community Foundation |
$100,000 |
| 10 | Hughes, Chris | $100,000 |
TOP 10 CONTRIBUTORS TO NO ON QUESTION 1:
$1.7 million raised in total
| Rank | Contributor Name | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Organization for Marriage | $1,317,789 |
| 2 | Knights of Columbus | $101,135 |
| 3 | CitizenLink | $26,000 |
| 4 | Focus on the Family | $25,000 |
| 5 | Christian Civic League of Maine | $14,269 |
| 6 | Ritter, Christopher | $10,000 |
| 7 | Hutchins, Marcus | $10,000 |
| 8 | Christian Education League | $10,000 |
| 9 | Faith Evangelical Free Church | $7,025 |
| 10 | Contract Farming of Maine,LLC | $5,000 |
Click here to download all contributions.
A link to this data release can be found here.
MapLight is a nonpartisan research organization that tracks money's influence on politics.
Partners: MapLight will be expanding Voter's Edge to additional states and cities in partnership with state and local media outlets and community groups across the country. If you are interested in working with MapLight to bring Voter's Edge to your state, county, or city, please contact Jay Costa: jay@maplight.org.
Update: The original post contained links to image files that are no longer available on Voter's Edge.
