POLL: Florida Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment Lacks Votes to Pass

Posted on October 20, 2008
Filed Under Gay News Blog

A Sun Sentinel and Florida Times-Union poll shows that Amendment 2, which would amend Florida’s constitution to ban same-sex marriage, currently lacks the numbers to pass:

Florida “The poll of 600 likely voters shows support for Amendment 2 at 53 percent, less than the 60 percent approval rate required to change the constitution…Backers of the gay-marriage ban say the poll should be a wakeup call to conservatives to vote. Opponents say the poll shows they have made progress in explaining that the proposal could jeopardize domestic partnership benefits that many governments and companies offer straight and gay employees. Gay marriage has been prohibited under state law for more than a decade, but supporters say a constitutional amendment would protect the law from court challenges. The amendment would define marriage as between a man and a woman and would say that no “substantial equivalent” is legal either. Opponents fear that if the amendment passes, conservatives will raise legal challenges to domestic partnership benefits, from health insurance to hospital visitation rights.”