California voters approve of gay marriage, survey says

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – For the first time ever, a statewide survey reports a majority of California voters approve of same-sex marriage – a finding that pollsters describe as a milestone driven by younger voters.

The Field Poll result, released today, shows the highest level of support in more than three decades of polling Californians on the hot-button issue of same-sex marriage laws. The poll found 51 percent of registered voters favor the idea of allowing gay and lesbian couples to wed, while 42 percent disapprove.

An almost identical result was recorded in the random survey of whether voters favor an amendment to the state constitution that will likely appear on the November ballot, which seeks to define marriage as between a man and a woman: Fifty-one percent opposed that proposal, the survey reported, while 43 percent approved.

“I would characterize it as a historic poll,” said Field Poll Director Mark DiCamillo, noting that a marked number of young voters – more than two of every three – supported permitting same-sex nuptials.

The random-sample survey went into circulation May 17 – just two days after the California Supreme Court’s landmark ruling that struck down the state’s ban on same-sex marriage.