Fight over gay marriage ban is tight

Photo: james steidl, Photos.com

Oct 28, 2012 at 5:06 pm

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (KNSI) The fight over a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage in Minnesota is in a statistical dead heat, according to results from the latest Star Tribune Minnesota Poll published Sunday.

The Star Tribune reported that 48 percent of likely Minnesota voters support the amendment that would define marriage as between one man and one woman, while 47 percent of Minnesotans oppose the change. Five percent are undecided.

A September Minnesota Poll had similar results.

Those in favor of the amendment are short of the 50 percent needed to change the state constitution. Minnesota law already bans gay marriage, but supporters of the amendment worry that future courts or Legislatures could change the law if it's not outlined in the constitution.

The poll was conducted among 800 likely voters who were contacted by cellphone and land line from Oct. 23 to Oct. 25. It has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.