Poll: 50 percent of Virginians surveyed favor same-sex marriage

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Olympia Meola | Richmond Times-Dispatch

Friday, July 19, 2013

RICHMOND - Half of Virginia voters support allowing same-sex couples to get married in the state, while 43 percent oppose, according to the first Quinnipiac University poll taken since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

This latest survey shows a continued shift in public opinion in Virginia from the 2006 vote to ban same-sex marriage here, in which 57 percent supported the ban and 43 percent opposed it.

The poll released today shows support strongest among Democrats, 68-26 percent; and independents, 52-39 percent, while Republican voters oppose it 68-26 percent.

More women, 55-39 percent, support same-sex marriage in the state than men, 43-49 percent. Also the shift finds more support among white voters, 51-43 percent, than black voters, 42-48 percent, according to the survey.

In late June, the Supreme Court struck down part of DOMA, which denies federal benefits to same-sex married couples that wed in states that recognize the unions.

Shortly after that, the ACLU of Virginia said that it would file suit in federal court to challenge Virginia's 2006 constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

Quinnipiac surveyed 1,030 registered voters July 11-15, and the poll carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Saturday, September 14, 2013