Opponents of same-sex marriage in Maryland are calling additional signatures to put the matter on the ballot an exclamation point.
Derek McCoy, executive director of Maryland Marriage Alliance, said Monday the group is turning in 39,743 more signatures. That's on top of 113,000 already submitted.
They need 55,736 to put the issue on the ballot.
"In spite of what our opponents will say, these incredible numbers clearly show that Marylanders strongly reject the idea of redefining marriage," McCoy said in a statement. "The Maryland Marriage Alliance and our diverse coalition of partners are confident that this momentum will continue. In November this issue will be settled in our state and the definition of marriage will remain a union between one man and one woman."
The Maryland State Board of Elections already has validated more than 109,000 signatures from ones already turned in to the state.
Supporters of the law passed this year say it's not unexpected that issue will be decided by voters.
Josh Levin, campaign manager for Marylanders for Marriage Equality, says the group is focusing on building a campaign to mobilize Maryland voters to support the law in November.
