Oct. 28, 2010

DWU Tiger Poll: South Dakotans Divided Over Civil Unions

MITCHELL, S.D. – As Illinois braces for a contentious battle over civil unions between same-sex partners, South Dakotans are divided over the issue, according to the results of the most recent Dakota Wesleyan University Tiger Poll.

The poll of 393 South Dakotans, conducted Sept. 20-Oct. 6 by the McGovern Center at DWU, indicated that there is no consensus among South Dakotans on the issue of civil unions. While approximately 43 percent of respondents opposed any legal recognition for same-sex couples in South Dakota, 36 percent supported some form of legal recognition, either marriage or civil unions, and 21 percent were not sure or did not respond to the question.

A similar national CBS News poll conducted Aug. 20-24, found that only 25 percent of Americans supported no legal recognition for same-sex couples when asked the following question: “Which comes closest to your view: Gay couples should be allowed to legally marry, or gay couples should be allowed to form civil unions but not legally marry, or, there should be no legal recognition of a gay couple’s relationship.”

Slightly more than half of South Dakota Republicans polled, 61 percent, opposed any legal recognition for same-sex couples, as did 29 percent of Democrats. Fifty-one percent of Democrats supported some form of legal recognition, as did 22 percent of Republicans. Eighteen percent of Republicans and 20 percent of Democrats were unsure or did not respond.

The most dramatic differences in opinion on the issue came among the various age groups surveyed. More than two-thirds of South Dakotans aged 18-30, at 67 percent, favor some form of legal recognition for same-sex couples. Among South Dakotans, aged 65 and older, that support for legal marriage or civil unions dropped to 27 percent. Among 31-50 year olds, 43 percent supported legal recognition, as did 39 percent of 51-64 year olds.

“The youngest generation of South Dakota voters, those aged 30 and under, have a very different mindset on the issue than their grandparents do,” said Dr. Donald Simmons, Dean of the College of Leadership and Public Service and graduate studies at DWU. “The numbers appear to show that unless there are generational shifts in opinions on the matter, same-sex marriage or civil unions may eventually become a reality in South Dakota.”
Individuals with some college education and those with college degrees were most likely to oppose marriage and civil unions for same-sex couples, at 48 percent and 46 percent respectively. Individuals with post-graduate educations and those with high school diplomas or GEDs were least likely to oppose such legislation, at 41 percent and 33 percent.

Statistically, there was no difference in opposition to same-sex marriage and civil unions based on the gender of South Dakotans who responded to the survey. However, women were more supportive than men were of same-sex marriage, although there was no statistical difference between the genders in percent favoring civil unions.
Under South Dakota Codified Law 25-1-38, which was passed during the 2000 legislative session, “Any marriage contracted outside the jurisdiction of this state, except a marriage contracted between two persons of the same gender, which is valid by the laws of the jurisdiction in which such marriage was contracted, is valid in this state.”

“I really don’t see South Dakotans changing their current law,” Simmons said. “My guess is that change, if and when it comes, would be imposed by federal legislation or the courts. Until then, South Dakotans are watching what is happening in Illinois and other states.”

Most supporters of the proposed Illinois civil union legislation hope it will give gay and lesbian partners legal rights when it comes to property ownership, adoption and health care decisions.

The DWU Poll also asked South Dakotans the following question: “Based on what you know or have read about the new Arizona immigration law, do you favor or oppose South Dakota adopting a similar law?”

Of South Dakotans surveyed, 52 percent said they would favor a similar law in South Dakota, 29 percent opposed such legislation, and the remaining respondents either did not know, had no response or did not answer.

The new Arizona Law, which is already being challenged in federal court by the Obama administration, makes it a crime to be in Arizona illegally or to be without legal registration papers. It also requires local police officers to enforce federal immigration law.

The DWU Tiger Poll is a joint project of the McGovern Center for Leadership and Public Service and the DWU Mathematics Department. Simmons, Michael Catalano, Rocky Von Eye and Donald Watt form the faculty research team for the 2010 DWU Tiger Poll. The undergraduate student research coordinators for the 2010 DWU Tiger Poll are Christen Hildebrandt and Derik Fossum. Andrew Farrand, Lynn Geuke, Eric Moller, Lex Moore, Aaron Rolen, Lucas Sieve and Ethan Opsahl, statistical analyst, formed the student research team for the survey.

The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 5 percent for the entire statewide sample. Subset sample margins of error vary depending on selected sample sizes. Totals may not equal 100 percent as all percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number.

More detailed information about the poll results is available online at www.mcgoverncenter.com/poll2010.