A poll released on Wednesday found that a majority of Pennsylvania voters say gay and lesbian couples deserve legal recognition.

Public Policy Polling contacted 500 voters by telephone from November 17 to 20 to conduct their survey.

Voters who support gay marriage remain in the minority in the Keystone state, where 36 percent favor marriage equality and 52 percent oppose it, according to the survey. (12 percent refused to answer.)

However, when given the option between no recognition or legal recognition for gay couples, sixty-four percent of respondents said they support legal recognition, 29 percent with marriage and 35 percent with civil unions. Thirty-three percent of respondents said there should be no legal recognition of a gay couple's relationship, while 2 percent refused to answer.

Democrats support legal recognition in the highest numbers (75%), followed by independents (71%), and even a majority of Republicans (52%).

Pennsylvania lawmakers last year defeated a constitutional amendment that sought to ban gay marriage. A new push was introduced in May by Republican Rep. Daryl Metcalfe. If approved by two consecutive sessions of the Legislature, the question could appear on the 2013 ballot.