Poll: Voters Support Gay Marriage, They Just Don't Want It on the Ballot

Poll sends mixed message on voter support of same-sex couples

By SCOTT WEBER

Updated 11:38 AM PST, Sat, Nov 7, 2009

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California voter's don't mind gays get married, they just don't want in on the 2010 ballot. That's the finding of a new LA Times / USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences poll.

Nearly 60% of voters surveyed did not want to vote again on same-sex marriage in the 2010 elections even though 51% favored marriage rights for same-sex couples.

Overall, opinions were sharply divided along political party lines. 66% of Democrats favored marriage rights while 71% of Republicans opposed them, according to the Times. Nonpartisan voters backed marriage with 59% in favor the Times said.

In terms of age, 71% of those 18-29 said they supported same-sex marriage; among those 65 and older, only 37% favored it, the Times said.

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The survey, conducted by firms Greenberg Quinlan Rosner and Public Opinion Strategies, interviewed 1,500 registered voters in late October. The results have a margin of error of +/- 2.6 percentage points.

First Published: Nov 6, 2009 3:35 PM PST

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0 Comments

{"totSize":14,"payload_type":"json","status":"1","results":[{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"390259_69419617","adminTags":null,"views":521,"createdBy":12329328,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"Poll: Voters Support Gay Marriage, They Just Don't Want It on the Ballot","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":2668933,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"7 Nov 2009 01:05:34 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"All_Hallows_Eve","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1202216","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"Have gays/lesbians ever considered creating a name for their legal partnership or are they hell bent on calling it marriage??? Maybe call it Same Sex Partnership? Obviously marriage was created by the church FOR a man and a woman and I can fully understand their need and right to maintain that sacred union. My old school ideals do not want to see that changed either. I do however, feel we should ALL have the right love and partner with whomever we desire. Seems to me that everyone will NEVER agree on this subject but maybe a compromise would work. Gays/lesbians can't expect everyone else to be open minded to their needs, as they themselves close their eyes to the needs of others."},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"390259_69419617","adminTags":null,"views":521,"createdBy":9738894,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"Poll: Voters Support Gay Marriage, They Just Don't Want It on the Ballot","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":2668933,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"7 Nov 2009 01:32:03 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"VoiceintheDesert","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1202368","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"Of course this matter DOESN'T belong on the ballot. People's private lives are not a matter of public opinion or popular vote. LIVE .......and LET LIVE ! .............and mind your own business ! ALL_HALLOWS_EVE..........The union of two people , male-female.........or WHATEVER.........is as old as human nature.......and that makes it a little older than ANY " church " ! AMEN ! "},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"390259_69419617","adminTags":null,"views":521,"createdBy":9738894,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"Poll: Voters Support Gay Marriage, They Just Don't Want It on the Ballot","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":2668933,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"7 Nov 2009 01:36:09 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"VoiceintheDesert","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1202386","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":".......You need to grow up a bit, Friend, and realize that the world is a little bigger & more inclusive than YOU & YOUR perception of it. "},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"390259_69419617","adminTags":null,"views":521,"createdBy":7918844,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"Poll: Voters Support Gay Marriage, They Just Don't Want It on the Ballot","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":2668933,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"7 Nov 2009 07:58:04 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"anonymous_user","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1203564","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"Homosexuality is an abomination. When is this nation going to realize that, and quit bending over backwards to please them. They are a minority. Wake up America!"},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"390259_69419617","adminTags":null,"views":521,"createdBy":7918844,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"Poll: Voters Support Gay Marriage, They Just Don't Want It on the Ballot","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":2668933,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"7 Nov 2009 09:27:25 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"anonymous_user","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1203718","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"Anonymous 1 is RIGHT! Gay people are a MINORITY, so obviously their rights do NOT matter. If you can't beat them, join them! Gay people, if you want to matter, just pretend to be straight. How do you not get this? I wish you were as intelligent us. All your fancy educations, have obviously not prepared you for such powerful arguments! Everyone says that as we die off (the deadly silent moral majority), the new generation will overwhelmingly embrace minority rights. But I don't believe it! Somehow, we will get to vote against your marriage from the afterlife. I just know it! "}],"error":"","totPages":3}