New Poll Shows Even Split Between Voters on Marriage Amendment

According to a new poll commissioned by the Star-Tribune, support and opposition to the marriage amendment is essentially tied.

The amendment would write a prohibition on legal recognition of same-sex marriages into the state constitution, reflecting current law.

Of 800 likely Minnesota voters, 48 percent told the Minnesota Poll's questioners that they would be voting to pass the amendment and 47 percent said they opposed the measure; five percent said they were still undecided. The poll was conducted between Oct. 23 and Oct. 25, and respondents were reached using both cell phones and landlines. The poll's margin of error was 3.5 percent, plus or minus.

September's Minnesota Poll also showed a deadlock between the two sides.

+/- 4.3%

+/- 3.5

+/- 3.5%

Supporters of the amendment told the Star-Tribune that "our side has been historically under-represented" in polls on the issue. Opponents said they were placing their faith in Minnesotans' "values of freedom and treating others as you would want to be treated" when voters go to the polls.

Roughly 56 percent of respondents said their faith leaders' positions on the amendment didn't strongly influence their votes. Perhaps surprisingly, over two-thirds of those voters told pollsters they planned on voting "No."

Respondents who had a friend or family member who was gay or lesbian were dramatically more likely to vote against the amendment, supporting a amendment opponent's key strategy of encouraging supporters to have conversations with potential amendment supporters describing how their LGBT friends would be impacted by the amendment.