By L.A. Williams, Correspondent
Christian Action League
RALEIGH — A Civitas Institute poll released Tuesday shows that most Tar Heel voters — 62 percent, in fact — support a constitutional amendment to protect marriage.
“Long and passionate speeches from same-sex marriage supporters on the floor of the General Assembly last month may have made this opportunity for North Carolinians to confirm that marriage is between one man and one woman seem much more controversial than it is,” said the Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League. “These poll results don’t surprise us. In fact, they confirm what has been found in 30 states — when given the chance, voters strongly support traditional marriage.”
After nearly a decade of proposed legislation to allow for a vote on a Marriage Protection Amendment, lawmakers took up the issue in September and passed Senate Bill 514, 75-42 in the House and 30-16 in the Senate.
Only 31 percent of those questioned in the Civitas poll said they oppose the amendment with seven percent undecided. The poll, conducted Sept. 22-25, further showed bipartisan backing with 79 percent of Republicans, 55 percent of unaffiliated voters and 53 percent of Democrats in favor of the amendment.
“While turnout in a May primary election is often difficult to predict, this amendment appears to have broad support,” Civitas Institute President Francis De Luca said in a press release. “And while other polling has shown different results, it is important to remember that voters will be voting on the actual wording used in our poll, not from a list of options.”
Those polled were asked: “Do you support or oppose a constitutional amendment that says: ‘Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this state.'”
Though wording in the 30 other state amendments varies, all have the same purpose — limiting marriage to one man and one woman.
“North Carolina is behind the curve in protecting marriage, but that certainly doesn’t mean Tar Heel residents don’t value traditional marriage,” said Dr. Creech. “As the Civitas poll indicates, this amendment is popular. We just have to make sure that folks make their wishes known in the voting booth next May.”
The 14 other southeastern states (from Kansas and Texas in the Midwest to Virginia and Florida on the East Coast) have adopted state marriage amendments with an average of 75 percent of the vote of the people.
To find out more about the Civitas poll, click here
