A Fair & Knowledgeable Wisconsin Will Vote NO

Virginia is voting on a marriage and civil unions amendment that's very similar to the one Wisconsinites will vote on in November.

The Washington Post recently asked Virginia voters how they planned to vote on the amendment. 53 percent said they supported the amendment, 43 percent opposed it, and 4 percent were undecided.

The respondents were then asked a follow up question: "Supporters say the measure would mean that same-sex marriages would never be approved or recognized in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Opponents say the proposed language is too broad, and would endanger contracts made between unmarried heterosexual couples. With these arguments in mind, if the election were held today, would you vote yes or no on Amendment One? "

When the respondents considered those arguments, the results changed dramatically to 48 percent in favor, 47 percent opposed, and 5 percent undecided.

The numbers on the amendment alone are a bit closer in Wisconsin than they are in Virginia. A new WPR/St. Norbert College poll shows 51 percent of Wisconsinites support the amendment, 44 percent oppose it, and 5 percent are undecided.

I wonder what those numbers would look like in Wisconsin if the respondents were asked the same follow up question posed by the Post?

Thankfully the crew at Fair Wisconsin is doing an excellent job making sure voters have that follow up question in mind before they even answer the initial question.