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But poll finds more would support civil unions as an alternative

A clear majority of New Jersey voters now supports legalizing gay marriage in the state, with 52 percent in favor, 32 percent opposed and 16 percent unsure, according to a Rutgers-Eagleton Poll made public on Wednesday.

But while the margin in support has grown significantly over the past two years, given the choice of civil unions instead of gay marriage, even more voters (58 percent) support that alternative.

“We were surprised by the margin favoring gay marriage, which is much greater than previously reported,” Prof. David Redlawsk, the poll’s director, said. “While the number of supporters has grown only a little, the number directly opposing gay marriage has fallen significantly. Sat the same time, more people say they are unsure or refuse to answer the question. These may be voters who are uncomfortable with gay marriage but who don’t want to express direct opposition, suggesting support is not as lopsided as it appears.”

The strong preference for civil unions as an alternative to gay marriage also suggests support for same-sex marriage is not as deep as it appears. More than two-thirds of gay marriage supporters say they support civil unions as an alternative, as do 54 percent of gay marriage opponents and 41 percent of those not sure where they stand on gay marriage.

Women are more likely than men to support gay marriage, 58 percent to 47 percent. Younger voters are supportive, but support declines with age: 77 percent of voters under 30 are in favor, while support declines to only 35 percent of voters over 65.

Support increases as levels of education increase, with 46 percent of those with a high school education or less rising to 62 percent of those who have attended graduate school.

Not surprisingly, 61 percent of Democrats and 58 percent of independents support gay marriage; 51 percent of Republicans oppose it. Similarly, 83 percent of self-reported “liberals” and 56 percent of “moderates” favor gay marriage. In contrast, 18 percent of conservatives are for gay marriage and 61 percent are opposed.

“We see an interesting pattern, with Republican and Conservatives much more likely to say ‘don’t know’ to the gay marriage question,” Redlawsk said. “This suggests either some measure of uncertainty and changing attitudes by these voters, or perhaps reluctance to express a negative view in a state known for support of gay rights.”

Catholics show slightly more support for same-sex marriage than Protestants by four percentage points. How frequently respondents attend religious services is a stronger indicator of personal feelings than affiliation. Those who attend at least once a week are least likely to support gay marriage: 25 percent in favor to 60 percent opposed. Support increases with less frequent religious service attendance; 66 percent who attend a religious service once a month or less support gay marriage, while only 19 percent oppose.

New Jerseyans say New York’s recent legalization of gay marriage did not affect their views. Only 14 percent of voters said they were more likely to support gay marriage after its legalization in New York, while a large majority – 73 percent – said the new law in New York had no effect on their opinion. Nearly all who were unsure about legalizing gay marriage in New Jersey – a group that might have been influenced by the New York results – also claimed that legalization of gay marriage in New York had no effect on their opinion.