Elon University has a new poll out (scroll down) finding that a majority of North Carolinians oppose a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman (thus banning state recognition of same-sex, and other non-heterosexual, unions).
Fifty-six percent of respondents reported opposing an amendment in response to the following question from Elon:
Would you [support or oppose] an amendment to the North Carolina constitution that would prevent any same sex marriages?
Contrast that to a Civitas poll from last April that found 70 percent of respondents in favor of an amendment. Civitas phrased the question this way:
Do you support a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as an act between a man and a woman?
Of the two, Civitas’ wording is more accurate to the actual bill. If nothing else, it proves the way that pollsters phrase their questions has a lot to do with the outcome ? unless we’re to believe there has been a seismic shift on the issue in the 10 months.
