MA StatehouseNewsPoll (SHNP) polls MA same-sex marriage . . .

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Massachusetts State House News Poll (SHNP), dated September 2005

1.) 52% oppose a ban on same-sex marriage (in other words 52% polled said same-sex marriage was okay)

2.) 43% want a ban on same-sex marriage

3.) 5% don't know (have no opinion)

The Q&A and methodology included on this url: http://www.statehousenews.com/public/poll/ . . . and on this url: http://www.statehousenews.com/public/poll/Internals.htm (question #14)

Caveat: This poll seems to be a tad bit biased. The demographics are "off." (1) Apparently there is no polling of cell phone respondents which would include a younger respondent; and (2) the age spread that did answer this poll was top-heavy in the over 40-age-group. That, together with what is general knowledge that younger voters seem to agree to retain same-sex marriage and that older voters seem bent the other way toward anti-same-sex marriage, skewer the polling result. A poll that does not have a fair and adequate pool of respondents according to demographics, is a biased poll.

And a further note -- this (biased) poll is really about an actual Massachusetts ballot initiative (#05-02, scroll down) to amend the Massachusetts constitution that may (or may not) appear on the Massachusetts ballot in November 2008!! That's quite a long way off. In the meantime, there are potential Massachusetts state court challenges to be filed and argued and decided, plus further state procedures that must be met including signature requirements and legislative requirements to meet the legal requirements of a ballot initiative to amend the state constitution. And, there will be more than 3 additional years that same-sex couples may marry in Massachusetts before November 2008. That means the number of same-sex marriages increases, and it also means that Bay Staters will be afforded more time to acclimate to same-sex marriages. Yes, November 2008 is a long way off in Massachusetts!

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