New Poll Reveals Same-Sex Marriage Now Favored by Majority of Maryland Voters

In a dramatic shift, Maryland voters overwhelmingly would vote to uphold a law allowing same-sex marriage.

On Thursday May 24 2011, Public Policy Polling announced the results of a new poll of Maryland voters. According to this survey:

57% of likely voters would uphold the law allowing same-sex marriage, while  

37 percent would not.

This result suggests a dramatic shift in favor of the new Maryland same-sex marriage law, which was passed in April 2012. A poll conducted in March found that 52% of likely voters favored the law while 39% were opposed. 

Both polls were conducted for Marylanders for Marriage Equality.

Opponents of Maryland's new same-sex marriage law are still hoping to garner 55,000 signatures by June 30, 2012, which would place the issue on the November ballot.

How to account for the dramatic shift in voter attitudes in the past eight weeks?

OBAMA MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

The Public Policy Poll asserts that the change in opinion can be explained by a change in black voters' attitudes. President Barack Obama announced his personal support for gay marriage after the first poll and before the second. 


The Obama-factor is confirmed by a Washington Post-ABC poll, which also showed that the opinion of black voters shifted favorably after Obama's announcement:

59 percent of likely black voters now support same-sex marriage. 

This is an 18-point swing, compared to polls taken before the Post-ABC poll.

For Reactions to Obama's endorsement of same-sex marriage, plus a summary of recent polling, see:

Maryland Gay Marriage Poll Shows Marked Shift In Public Opinion

Also useful:


How Obama moves the needle on gay marriage