A proposed constitutional amendment to
ban gay marriage in Minnesota is leading but not winning.
According to the Star Tribune
Minnesota Poll, voters are statistically divided on the issue six
weeks before the general election.
Among likely voters, 49 percent said
they would approve the amendment which defines marriage as a
heterosexual union, while 47 said they would not. Four percent said
they were undecided.
“Right now, amendment supporters are
leading but they are not winning,” said
Patricia Lopez, Star Tribune political editor. “There's
an interesting wrinkle in Minnesota's law. It says that you have to
have 50 percent of all the ballots cast in the election. So, not
just people voting on this amendment, but people voting on everything
in November. And that means that if they come up with 49 percent on
election day, they'll still lose.”
Pollsters, who interviewed 800 likely
voters between September 17 and 19, found strong opposition for the
amendment among Democrats (73%) and strong support among Republicans
(78%).
More men (57% in favor, 39% opposed)
support the measure than women (40% in favor, 56% opposed).
The survey also found that a large
majority (58%) of respondents support recognizing gay and lesbian
couples with civil unions, while 23 percent remain opposed.