Voters in Minnesota are divided on a
proposed constitutional amendment which would define marriage as a
heterosexual union.
According to a Public
Policy Polling survey released Friday, 48 percent of voters
support the amendment while 44 percent are opposed. Eight percent
said they were not sure.
However, a large majority (71%) of
respondents said the relationships of gay and lesbian couples should
be recognized with either marriage (37%) or civil unions (34%).
Twenty-seven percent said there should be no legal recognition of a
gay couple's relationship.
Unlike North Carolina's proposed
amendment, Minnesota voters are only being asked to vote on the
definition of marriage. That is, the amendment would not bar the
state from enacting gay-inclusive civil union legislation.
The issue in Minnesota – as in most
of the country – breaks down along political and generational
lines.
Voters under the age of 65 oppose the
amendment, but a majority (58%) of seniors support it. And a large
majority of Republicans (74%) favor the amendment, while only 23
percent of Democrats agree. Independents are evenly split at 50
percent.