A statewide poll by Minnesota’s St. Cloud State University found that marginally more people oppose than support next year’s constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.
The school’s 2011 statewide survey, released November 10, showed 47 percent of those polled do not support amending the state’s constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman. It found 44 percent in support of the proposal, while 9 percent are undecided or refused to answer.
The poll conducted October 16–27 has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points. St. Cloud State’s political science department, which surveyed 626 randomly selected Minnesota residents by phone, has produced the annual survey for several decades.
Voters statewide will weigh in next November on the marriage amendment. Gay marriage is already illegal under state law, but supporters of the amendment say the constitutional protection is needed to protect the traditional definition of marriage against judicial rulings and future legislatures. Opponents say it’s unneeded, divisive, and hurtful to gay people.
The St. Cloud State poll attempted to weigh views on the marriage amendment against the religious views of respondents. When adjusted for religion’s importance in the lives of respondents, the poll found 57 percent of those who called religion important in their lives were in favor of the amendment, while 29 percent who said religion was not important said they believed the constitution should be amended. —AP
Comments
Comments