NPR Poll: Gay Marriage Sharply Divides Likely Voters

Full Poll Results (Adobe Acrobat required)

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Gay marriage and civil unions will be among the most divisive issues of the 2004 presidential election, according to the latest NPR poll.

The study, conducted by Republican pollster Bill McInturff and Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg, found that 56 percent of respondents are opposed to gay marriage, while 30 percent support it.

In an interview with ABC News' Diane Sawyer this month, President Bush said that he would support a constitutional amendment opposing gay marriage. Bush seemed open to the idea of a law that would allow for civil unions.

Poll respondents were split evenly at 45 percent on the idea of a law that would let homosexual couples legally form civil unions providing them "the legal rights of married couples in areas such as health insurance, inheritance, pension coverage and hospital visiting privileges." NPR's Mara Liasson reports.