Poll: New Jersey
voters support civil unions over same-sex marriage

A new poll out Thursday shows that a majority of New Jersey voters support civil unions with rights equal to marriage over marriage itself for gay couples. The Quinnipiac University poll found that 60% of voters support civil unions, with 35% opposed, while 50% oppose letting gay couples marry, with only 44% in support. The poll also found that 58% of voters oppose a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. "New Jersey voters are sending a clear message to the legislature in Trenton that they do not want gay marriage in the state, but at the same time they oppose a state constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage," Clay F. Richards of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute said in a statement. "Voters approve the legalization of civil unions for gays, but say 51 to 42% that if gays can be guaranteed equal rights under the law without legalizing civil unions, that's OK too," he added. The New Jersey legislature is considering legislation to extend marriage rights to gay couples, following a state supreme court order in October. (The Advocate)