A majority of Nevada voters say they support an effort to repeal the state's ban on gay marriage.

According to a survey of 500 likely voters in Nevada conducted by Moore Information, a Republican-leaning opinion firm, and paid for by the Retail Association of Nevada (RAN), 57 percent favor removing the Protection of Marriage provision approved in 2002 from the state constitution, while 36 percent remain opposed.

Pollsters conducted the survey September 27-29 using landline and cell phone interviews and live interviewers.

Lawmakers earlier this year approved a constitutional amendment which seeks to remove the marriage ban from the Nevada constitution and allow gay couples to marry in the state. The amendment must return to the Legislature for a second round of votes after the next election, making 2016 the earliest it could reach voters.

Nevada currently recognizes gay and lesbian couples with domestic partnerships. As of April 1, 4,157 couples have entered the union, though some are of the opposite sex.