Field Poll:
Majority of California Voters Oppose Prop. 8

The majority of California voters oppose Proposition 8, a proposed amendment that would ban same-sex marriage in the state, the Associated Press reported Friday.

According to the AP, the newly released California Field Poll survey found that 51% of voters will likely vote against Prop. 8, while 42% of voters support the proposed amendment. Democrats and Republican voters were starkly split on the issue, with 63% of Democrats indicating they would vote down the measure and 68% of Republicans saying they would vote for it. Independents rejected the ban 66% to 27%. The poll, conducted by Field Research Corp., randomly surveyed 672 likely voters during the week of July 8-14.

The survey shows a change from 2000, when 61% of voters were in favor of Proposition 22, an amendment that supported the state's 1978 ban on same-sex marriage.

The 1978 ban was overturned in May of this year, making same-sex marriages legal in the state of California. Proposition 8 was constructed in response to the new ruling. (The Advocate)