TRENTON – A statewide survey of 600 New Jersey likely voters conducted for the New Jersey Family Policy Council October 6-9, 2007 reveals that while many support a “live and let live” attitude towards same-sex couples and benefits, a nearly 2 to 1 majority are against allowing the definition of marriage to be changed for all New Jerseyans:

 
• 61% of voters say that “same-sex couples have a right to live as they choose, but they do not have a right to redefine marriage for the rest of society.”
 
• 54% agree that marriage should remain only a union between one man and one woman and 51% already say they would vote for a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman, were it to be placed on the ballot.

Voters across the country have been hesitant in general to amend their constitutions even when they substantively agree with the underlying issue.  In the case of preserving marriage, this was also true initially in many states where there are now marriage-protection amendments.  When New Jersey voters were informed that 27 other states have already amended their constitutions to safeguard marriage, 40% say it would make them more likely to support amending New Jersey’s constitution, versus 28% who would be less likely and 30% whose minds would not be changed.
 
  With regard to NJ Legislators, New Jerseyans have a few messages:

 
• 50% agree that legislators exhibited a perversion of priorities when they gave accelerated treatment to the passage of civil unions while there were more pressing issues to deal with such as property tax relief, and protecting our children from and a law to prohibit known sex offenders from taking jobs working with children (which was introduced in January of 2006 and never passed).
 
• A 46% plurality of voters say that they would be more likely to vote for a candidate that supported allowing voters the right to decide whether the constitution should be amended to guarantee that marriage remains between one man and one woman only (29% less likely, 20% no difference/depends).
 
• 42% also say they would be less likely to vote for a candidate who supported allowing same-sex marriage (30% more likely, 23% no difference/depends).

“Legislators who belie voters’ values on the issue of marriage would do so at their own peril” said Len Deo, president of the NJ Family Policy Council.” “Legislators are already trying to avoid confronting voters on this foundational issue, as Governor Corzine and others have stated they don’t want same-sex ‘marriage’ to be an issue during the 2008 elections but voters have made clear it will be an issue they are considering.”
 
  With regard to same-sex unions and how they could affect religious liberty, voters strongly decided religious liberties overruled the idea of discrimination.  When the details of the situation with the Ocean Grove Methodist beachfront pavilion vs. the state and the same-sex couple who wished to be “married” there, were explained, New Jerseyans by a more than 2 to 1 margin sided with the Methodist Church rather than the state:

 
• 60% supported the Methodist Church having the religious liberty to use their property in accordance with their own religious beliefs – even if it meant denying same-sex couples the ability to have ceremonies there.
 
• A 44% plurality also said that “If as a result of legalizing marriage between same-sex couples, religious charities, civic organizations and schools could be penalized by the NJ government for refusing to recognize unions between same-sex couples” they would be less likely to support same sex marriage.  In fact, this led 22% of those who initially opposed the constitutional amendment to be less certain.

Deo concluded, “this poll shows that the more New Jersey voters begin to understand how legalizing same-sex ‘marriage’ could affect them, their own rights, and deeply held beliefs; it is likely their support for preserving marriage as a union between one man and one woman with a constitutional amendment will increase, just as it did in twenty-seven other states.”
 
  The telephone survey of 600 New Jersey likely voters was conducted by the polling company, inc./WomanTrend on October 6-9 2007.  The margin of error is +/- 4.0% at the 95% confidence level.

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