Voters in the US state of Maine narrowly decided to repeal the state’s new law allowing same-sex marriage, the New York Times reports.
About 53 percent of voters approved the repeal, ending an expensive and emotional fight that was closely watched around the country as a referendum on the national gay-marriage movement. Polls had suggested a much closer race.
With the repeal, Maine became the 31st state to reject same-sex marriage at the ballot box. Five other …

Americans are today voting for governors, mayors and congressmen and many of the races are seen as an early test of US President Barack Obama’s political influence.
Obama has spent a considerable amount of time and energy trying to ensure that Democrats win governor’s races in Virginia and New Jersey, and pick up a Republican-held congressional seat in upstate New York, the AP reports.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate R. Creigh Deeds was trailing Republican Bob McDonnell in polls …

Almost 10 per cent of Estonian voters cast their votes electronically in this year’s local councils’ elections, which is an absolute record in this tiny Northern European country.
104,415 people gave their votes electronically, using the country’s innovative ID-cards for voting. That is about 9.6% of the total voters in the local councils’ election.
In European Parliament election, in June this year, only 58,669 people gave their votes electronically.
Estonian electronic voting is possible thanks to the ID-cards …

Ireland has passed the second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty with an overwhelming majority of 67 per cent in favour as just two of the 43 constituencies voted against it, Irish Times reports.
The referendum was carried with 67.1 per cent of the electorate voting in favour, reflecting a 20.5 per cent swing to the “Yes” side since the June 2008 referendum. In the first Lisbon poll, the “No” side secured 53.4 per cent of the …

Ireland’s Foreign Minister Michael Martin admitted that obtaining a “yes” vote in Lisbon Treaty referendum will be difficult and he had “never been under any illusion but that it would be difficult to secure this”.
Another “no” would derail, possibly for good, EU plans for a president, a foreign policy chief and speedier decision-making, since the treaty must be ratified by all 27 nations, the Daily Mail reports.
Still, he added that he thinks “we can do …

Ireland will hold a second referendum on the EU’s controversial Lisbon Treaty on 2 October, the BBC reports. The treaty which is widely regarded as European Constitution that would, among other issues, create an unelected presidency of the EU, was rejected by Irish voters in June last year.
Irish PM Brian Cowen has now secured binding EU guarantees that Lisbon Treaty will not affect Irish sovereignty over key issues such as military neutrality and abortion. These …

Labour suffered its worst post-war election result yesterday – the Party’s share of vote at the European Parliament election was a mere 15.3%. Labour lost at least five of their MEP seats and the final result hasn’t yet been announced.
It was a great night for Tories yesterday as they won with 28.6% of the votes. Tories gained at least one MEP seat, bringing the total to at least 24.
United Kingdom Independence Party came second with …

Dedicated to today’s election day: