Poll: Most oppose gay marriage ban

July 19, 2008

SACRAMENTO, Calif. A slight majority of California voters oppose a measure on the Nov. 4 ballot that would impose a constitutional ban on gay marriage, according to the first Field Poll on the measure. The findings are consistent with a May poll on the issue before Proposition 8 qualified for the ballot. The issue has received heightened attention since the state Supreme Court in May struck down a law approved by voters in 2000 that banned gay marriages. This time, Californians likely to vote in the Nov. 4 election were asked specifically about Proposition 8, which would enshrine in the state constitution that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. Fifty-one percent of respondents said they oppose the proposed ban; 42 percent support it; and 7 percent are undecided.