Kentucky voters strongly in favor of gay marriage ban

Likely voters surveyed for a new poll are overwhelmingly in favor of a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban civil unions in Kentucky and define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. The Bluegrass Poll, conducted by The [Louisville] Courier-Journal and published Tuesday, showed that 72% of likely voters support the amendment, which will appear on the November 2 ballot. Twenty-two percent were opposed, and 6% were undecided. The poll questioned 657 voters by telephone September 10-15. The margin of error was 3.8 percentage points. Backers of the amendment come from every region of Kentucky, every age and racial group, and almost every religious category as well as from Republicans, Democrats, and independents. Support for a similar federal constitutional amendment was nearly as strong--68% in favor compared with 26% against. One group where a majority--55%--appeared to oppose the amendment was a small combined category that included those with no religious belief and followers of various religions with smaller numbers of adherents in the state. Eighty-two percent of people 50 and older supported the amendment, compared with 53% of adults under 35. Those who said they personally know someone who is gay or lesbian supported the amendment by a lower margin--56% in favor--than those who did not--83% in favor. Percentages based on subsamples are subject to a higher potential margin of error.