COLUMBUS, Ohio -Ohioans backed up the nation's toughest law banning gay marriage with an even broader constitutional amendment against civil unions yesterday.
Issue 1 bans same-sex marriage under the Ohio Constitution and prohibits state and local governments from granting legal status to unmarried couples of either sex.
The amendment, the only statewide issue on the ballot, gathered equal support from men and women, blacks and whites, according to a statistical analysis from voter interviews.
With 86 percent of precincts reporting, 2.8 million, or 62 percent, supported the measure, while 1.7 million, or 38 percent, opposed it.
Opponents vowed immediately to consider further legal options to prevent the measure's implementation.
We're certainly going to look at legal challenges
said Alan Melamed, who led the campaign opposing the amendment.
Melamed said the amendment would undo constitutional protections of property rights by invalidating certain private contracts between unmarried couples.
Ten other states passed amendments banning same-sex marriage on yesterday, but legal analysts said Ohio's was broader because of language barring any status that intends to approximate marriage.
Phil Burress, who headed the campaign to pass the amendment, hailed the victory and dismissed the concerns of those who voted against the measure.
We believe the way they (opponents) explained it was not accurate said Burress. The people still wanted to define marriage between one man and one woman and protect its benefits.
The issue raised strong feelings in voters on both sides.
Elsie Preston, of West Chester near Cincinnati, said her vote went to keep marriage between a man and a woman.
That's the way God ordained it
she said.
Barbara Meek, of the Columbus suburb of Pickerington, said she voted against the amendment because it was poorly worded and affected more people than simply same-sex couples who wish to marry.
Two-thirds of Ohio married voters supported the amendment, according to the voter interviews conducted for The Associated Press, while unmarried voters supported it by a slim majority. About three-quarters of those who attend church weekly voted for the amendment, while those who never attend church opposed it 2-to-1.
However, the amendment did poorly among those who believe the state's economy is in trouble. Ads and yard signs by amendment opponents said it would hurt universities and businesses trying to attract top talent.
Voters aged 29 and younger were about evenly split, while older voters overwhelmingly approved it, according to the poll of 1,389 Ohio voters conducted for AP and television networks by Edison Media Research and Mitofsky International. Results were subject to sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points, higher for subgroups.
The amendment takes effect in 30 days. After that, Ohio's cities and public universities that have not already offered health insurance coverage to their employees' domestic partners will no longer be able to do so.
Still unresolved is whether the measure would affect private universities and employers.
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