The Nation

11 states pass amendments banning same-sex marriage

In a resounding, coast-to-coast rejection of gay marriage, voters in 11 states approved constitutional amendments Tuesday limiting marriage to one man and one woman.

The amendments won, often by huge margins, in Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio, Utah and Oregon – the one state where gay-rights activists hoped to prevail. The bans won by a 3-to-1 margin in Kentucky and Georgia, 3-to-2 in Ohio, and 6-to-1 in Mississippi.

“This issue does not deeply divide America,” said conservative activist Gary Bauer. “The country overwhelmingly rejects same-sex marriage, and our hope is that both politicians and activist judges will read these results and take them to heart.”

The Ohio measure, considered the broadest of the 11 because it barred any legal status that “intends to approximate marriage,” gathered equal support from men and women, blacks and whites.

In Georgia, Ohio and Mississippi, gay-rights activists were considering court challenges of the newly approved amendments. But supporters of the bans were jubilant.

“I’ve said all along that this crossed party lines, color lines and socio-economic lines,” said Sadie Fields of the Georgia Christian Coalition. “The people in this state realized that we’re talking about the future of our country here.”

Conservatives had expected all along that the amendments would prevail in at least 10 of the states, thus demonstrating widespread public disapproval of court rulings in favor of gay couples. National and local gay-rights groups campaigned vigorously in Oregon, where polls had shown a close race, but they failed to prevent a sweep.

“That certainly is disappointing news that many Kentucky voters would think it’s appropriate to write discrimination into our constitution,” said Beth Wilson of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky. “People get harmed when their relationships are not respected, and this means that relationships won’t be respected.”

None of the 11 states allow gay marriage now, though officials in Portland, Ore., married more than 3,000 same-sex couples last year before a judge halted the practice. Supporters of the amendments contend the measures are needed as an extra guard against state court rulings like the one in Massachusetts a year ago that legalized same-sex marriage there.

California stem cell, Montana medical marijuana measures pass

Californians voted Tuesday to spend $3 billion on stem cell research, putting the state on the cutting edge of a field questioned by conservatives and the Bush administration. Florida voters approved a $1-an-hour hike in the state minimum wage.

In Oklahoma, voters approved creation of a state lottery, leaving only nine states without one. Montana became the 10th state to legalize marijuana for medical purposes.

In all, 163 measures were on the ballots in 34 states, with major topics ranging from gambling and tobacco taxes to medical malpractice.

California’s stem cell measure, Proposition 71, became a battle of the Hollywood stars after actor-turned-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger broke Republican ranks to line up in support of the measure with “Family Ties” actor Michael J. Fox and late “Superman” actor Christopher Reeve.

Actor Mel Gibson was among high-profile foes of the measure.

Floridians voted to raise the state’s minimum wage to $6.15 an hour, a dollar higher than the federal minimum wage. A similar measure was approved in Nevada.

Many of the most noteworthy ballot items were in Western states. Voters in Alaska defeated a potentially history-making proposal to legalize marijuana. Federal drug czar John Walters had denounced the measure; supporters defended it as a sensible alternative to existing drug policies.

Colorado defeated a measure would have allocated its electoral votes proportionally, based on the popular vote for president, and would have applied to this year’s race between President Bush and John Kerry.

With defeat of the measure, either Bush or Kerry will get all nine of the state’s electoral votes, which otherwise might have split 5-4.

California had 16 measures on its ballot, more than any other state, including one that would require large businesses to provide employee health care. Wal-Mart donated $500,000 to oppose the measure. Critics of the retailer claim that California taxpayers spend $32 million a year providing care to Wal-Mart workers.

In Arizona, illegal immigration was the focus of a measure that would require people to produce proof of citizenship when registering to vote and would crack down on efforts by illegal immigrants to obtain government services.

Voters in Maine and South Dakota both declined opportunities to lower taxes. South Dakotans defeated a bid to scrap the sales tax on groceries, while a measure to cap property taxes lost in Maine after opponents said it would force layoffs of teachers and firefighters.

Voter turnout could be highest since 1960 Kennedy-Nixon race

Washington Intense voter registration drives and keen interest in the presidential race contest put Tuesday’s election on track to draw the heaviest turnout in years. Officials were watching whether it would approach the 1960 benchmark, when about two-thirds of eligible voters came out to back John F. Kennedy or Richard Nixon.

An estimated 117.5 million to 121 million people were expected to cast votes Tuesday, which, if forecasts were correct, would be 58 percent to 60 percent of eligible voters.

Slightly more than 51 percent of voters, about 105.4 million, cast ballots in 2000, when Republican George W. Bush defeated Democrat Al Gore.

President Clinton’s 1996 re-election bid drew only 49 percent of eligible voters, about 96.3 million. But Clinton’s 1992 race for the White House against the first President Bush brought out 55.2 percent, about 104.4 million.