New Poll Shows Little Movement in Voter Divide Over Amendment One

The latest numbers on North Carolina’s Amendment One shows that 55% of survey respondents favor the ballot measure that would constitutionally ban marriage and other forms of relationship recognition for gay couples, according to a poll released Tuesday by Public Policy Polling. It found 41% of respondents oppose the measure, only a 1-point increase over the last survey conducted in April.

A crucial caveat remains, however: When those surveyed were informed about the amendment’s broad authority to outlaw civil unions, only 38% supported it, compared to 46% opposed.

Via PPP:

The good news for the amendment’s opponents is that more voters are now aware of the amendment’s consequences, and if all voters were informed of those consequences, the amendment would fail by a 38-46 margin, the same as last week.  A 40% plurality now knows that the amendment would ban both same-sex marriage and civil unions, versus 36% in the previous survey.  Those who know what the amendment would do are against it by 22 points, but they are outweighed by the strong support from the uneducated. As part of the overall 22-point shift, Democrats move 21 points, Republicans 24 points, and independents 16 points against the amendment when told it would ban both marriage and civil unions for gay couples. 

“Voters who understand what the amendment does are opposed to it,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “But there’s a lot of education left to be done in this final week of the campaign.” 

Voters will decide the amendment Tuesday during the state’s primary elections. Earlier this week, each side of the amendment campaign released their latest finance reports (click here for more info).