California voters oppose new vote on gay marriage, poll finds

A small majority of California voters supports the right of gay couples to marry, but a much larger portion of voters opposes efforts to place the issue back on the ballot in 2010, a new Los Angeles Times/University of Southern California poll has found. Views on same-sex marriage were sharply polarized based on political party, with 66 percent of Democrats thinking it should be legal and 71 percent of Republicans in opposition.

Nonpartisan voters were less enthusiastic than Democrats, but still backed it, 59 percent to 34 percent.

Overall, 51 percent of California voters favored marriage rights for same-sex couples and 43 percent were opposed. However, almost 60 percent of Californians did not want to revisit the issue in 2010, just one election cycle after it last hit the ballot.