NEW JERSEY FAVORS MARRIAGE EQUALITY 48 to 45 PERCENT

via Garden State Equality

RIGHT-WING ADS IN 2007 CAMPAIGN GO BUST: NEW JERSEY FAVORS MARRIAGE EQUALITY 48 to 45 PERCENT,

ESSENTIALLY UNCHANGED
FROM A YEAR AGO

Eagleton Poll does not test intensity of feelings on marriage equality -- by 63 to 31 percent in Summer 2007 Zogby poll, New Jerseyans say they'd be fine with legislature's changing civil unions to marriage equality. By 72 to 21 percent in that poll, New Jerseyans say "nothing would happen" to legislators who vote for marriage equality

Wednesday, October 31, 2007 -- Today the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers released an independent statewide poll that shows New Jerseyans favor marriage equality 48 to 45 percent, essentially unchanged from the last Eagleton Poll a year ago. 1,002 adults were surveyed in the new poll, which has a margin of error of 3.1 percent.

"That more New Jerseyans favor marriage equality than oppose it, said Steven Goldstein, chair of Garden State Equality, "is fantastic news it in the heat of this election campaign. The right-wing has spent significant resources to make marriage equality a wedge issue in several legislative races. Today's Eagleton Poll makes clear that the right-wing's effort has fallen flat on its face.

"Today's numbers show New Jersey is ready for marriage equality and it's coming to New Jersey, whether right-wing extremists out of touch with New Jersey like it or not."

The Eagleton Poll did not ask New Jerseyans about their intensity of feelings on marriage equality. In August 2007, a statewide Zogby Poll asked:

“If public officials in New Jersey come to the conclusion that civil unions for gay couples have not worked to provide equality under the law, and that the way to fix the law is to give gay couples the same right to marry as heterosexual couples, would you be fine with that or would you be upset by that?”

63% responded “fine with that,” while only 31% responded “upset by that.”

The same Zogby Poll also asked:

“Which of the following do you think is most likely to happen to legislators if they were to allow gay couples to marry? Those legislators would not be reelected, or nothing because people care about other issues more.”

72% said nothing would happen to legislators, while only 21% said legislators would not be reelected.

The complete Zogby Poll is online at www.GardenStateEquality.org