POLL: IL and NJ Support Marriage Equality

A new poll from PPP indicates that Illinois and New Jersey may be the next two states to enact marriage equality. In Illinois, the poll shows that 47% of respondents support legalizing marriage between same-sex couples while 42% oppose it. In New Jersey, 53% support marriage equality while only 36% oppose it.

There are some interesting features of the support for marriage equality in each of these blue states:

A few things stand out on the New Jersey numbers. There are more Republicans (21%) who support same sex marriage than Democrats (19%) who oppose it. There's also 54/36 favor for it among independents. 72% of voters in the state think they should be allowed to vote on the issue.

In Illinois even though there's only narrow overall support for same sex marriage the numbers are 58% for and 37% against among voters under 45, another sign that it's just a matter of time given the big generational divide on the issue. Black voters, perhaps following the lead of President Obama, think it should be legal by a 60/16 spread. That's a much wider margin than we see with them nationally.

Hat/tip to Joe.My.God