LEWISTON — Gay marriage appeared in danger in Maine in a closely watched referendum Tuesday that the nation’s gay rights movement had hoped would yield a breakthrough victory at the ballot box.

Voters were asked to decide whether to repeal or affirm a state law that would allow gay couples to wed. The law was passed by the Legislature in May, but never took effect because of a petition drive by conservatives.

With 84 percent of precincts reporting, the question of whether to repeal the law was passing 53 percent to 47 percent.

Paul Madore, head of the Maine Grassroots Coalition, who supported and campaigned to repeal the law, said he was pleased but not surprised by the results.

“(Supporters of the law) need to take this as a clear indication that we don’t want it, but it’s not unequivocal,” he said. 

For Eric Gagnon of Wales, a same-sex marriage supporter, watching the votes get tallied made for an emotional evening.

“This is not over,” Gagnon said. “This is about my family; this is about equality. This isn’t about any one religion having the right to dictate how another person can live their life,” he said.

Voters in Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties cast ballots to reject the law, according to unofficial results late Tuesday.

Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap said turnout seemed higher than expected for an off-year election and voter interest appeared intense. Even before Tuesday, more than 100,000 people — of about 1 million registered voters — had voted by absentee ballot or early voting.

Frank Schubert, organizer for the campaign to repeal gay marriage, said a victory by his side would be a “backbreaking loss” for gay-rights activists, given the heavy mobilization and fundraising efforts put into their campaign.

Jesse Connolly, manager of the pro-gay marriage campaign, said the results bore out his prediction of a “razor thin” election.

“At the end of the day we’re going to see a positive result,” he said late Tuesday. “We might not see that tonight. It might be tomorrow.”

Five other states have legalized gay marriage — Iowa, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Connecticut — but all did so through legislation or court rulings, not by popular vote. Constitutional amendments banning gay marriage have been approved in all 30 states where they have been on the ballot.

Hundreds of gay-marriage supporters gathered in a Portland hotel ballroom in the evening Tuesday to await the results. On display was a three-tiered wedding cake topped with two grooms on one side, two brides on the other, and the words, “We All Do.”

In addition to reaching out to young people who flocked to the polls for President Barack Obama a year ago, gay-marriage defenders tried to appeal to Maine voters’ independent streak, a Yankee spirit of fairness and live-and-let-live.

The other side based many of its campaign ads on claims — disputed by state officials — that the new law would mean “homosexual marriage” would be taught in public schools.

Both sides in Maine drew volunteers and contributions from out of state, but the money edge went to the campaign in defense of gay marriage, Protect Maine Equality. It raised more than $4 million, compared with $2.5 million for Stand for Marriage Maine.