Alysse ElHage | October 30, 2014 | SHARE: 
As voters head to the polls for the mid-term election, many wonder how the judicial activism that has led to the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples in North Carolina will impact the election results. Two recent polls commissioned by different organizations show that a majority of registered or likely voters in the Tar Heel State support marriage as only between a man and a woman and oppose the courts’ actions striking down North Carolina’s marriage laws.
A Civitas Institute poll released Monday, October 27, surveyed 600 registered voters in North Carolina about their views on marriage and recent federal court actions overturning the state’s Marriage Protection Amendment. According to the poll, a vast majority (72 percent) believe that marriage “is the union of one man and one woman,” while 21 percent disagree. Additionally, 59 percent of North Carolina voters agreed that, “The decision to allow same-sex marriage in North Carolina should have been left with North Carolina voters and not an unelected federal judge,” while 31 percent felt, “Same sex couples should have the right to marry and the judge was right in ruling the way he did.” Ten percent said they did not know or refused to answer.
Another poll released on October 28 by High Point University found similar support for traditional marriage and opposition to the legalization of same-sex unions in North Carolina. According to the High Point University poll of just over 800 likely or actual voters, 58 percent oppose “allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally,” while 36 percent favor it. Additionally, the poll found that 60 percent disapprove of the “courts requiring North Carolina to recognize same-sex marriage,” while 37 percent approve it.
It remains to be seen how the marriage issue will impact the results of next week’s election, but one thing is clear: support for the institution of marriage as the union of one man and one woman remains strong in North Carolina. While many pro-family citizens are disheartened by the court decisions to overturn the State’s marriage laws, including the Marriage Protection Amendment approved by a 61 percent vote in May 2012, they must not allow it to discourage them from acting on their civic right and responsibility to vote. The future of marriage and many other critically important issues in North Carolina will be impacted by those who are elected at the federal, state, and local levels.
To learn about where the candidates stand on important issues like sanctity of human life, marriage, and religious liberty, access the North Carolina Family Policy Council’s 2014 Voter Guide at: //voterguide.ncfamily.org.
