There was some good coming out of a poll released Thursday.

According to Strategic Marketing Services, 61 percent of Mainers would vote to uphold the new anti-discrimination law passed this year by the Legislature, while only 28 percent oppose it. About 10 percent of survey respondents are undecided.

It’s reassuring to see that Mainers, so far, aren’t in the mood to tolerate legalized discrimination. But, as the cliche goes, it’s still early.

With about three months left before the November vote, the heavy-duty smear hasn’t begun in earnest. Opponents of the new law, which makes it illegal to discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation, are already using the specter of gay marriage to scare voters who support equal rights but aren’t ready or willing to go further. And it will get worse, especially as out-of-state money pours into the election. With little competition for national attention on Election Day, Maine will be watched closely by tea-leaf readers and political operatives trying to develop a successful strategy for the 2006 election.

Maine’s law is about ending discrimination. We’d like to see the percentage of voters who recognize that grow beyond three-fifths as the election gets closer.