The one issue I have with this poll is that it insinuates the amendment is going to pass because of "ignorance" more than anything else, which I do not believe is true. You can call the voters' view on marriage ignorant, but to say they don't understand what the amendment does is probably false.
How many voters even know what a civil union is?? I know tons of people who would say they support them in theory, but if they knew they were almost identical to marriage except in name, they would oppose them. "Civil union" does not even have a specific definition, and can mean anything depending on where they are offered.
I think PPP should add a "domestic partnership" option to its question about which rights gay couples should have. Survey USA did this in their most recent poll, and it shows that most people do NOT support either gay marriage or civil unions in NC. Rather, they would probably support a loose form of DP that provided some legal rights.
People may not fully understand the amendment, but they don't support civil unions either. I think if you were to ask voters about any ballot measure, most people wouldn't know 100% of what it does because most Americans just aren't that political or in tune with current events.
The main concern I have with the amendment is its potential effect on local DP benefits, such as in Chapel Hill. Since the amendment says that the "state" cannot recognize any domestic legal union other than marriage between a man and woman, that probably still allows municipalities to provide them. It just means that the NC as a whole cannot set up a statewide DP system. However, I could be wrong, and that is why I will likely not vote for this amendment.
If there is any doubt about amending the constitution, it probably shouldn't be done.
Thank you for the quality, consistent polling. I do, however, think that part of the premise here is incorrect. Voters in this state are way more against gay marriage and its equivalent than they are for giving gay couples any kind of legal benefits...maybe it will change one day, but not on May 8.