Posted: July 18, 2008 - 10:00 am ET(Los Angeles, California) A new poll finds that a majority of voters in California would reject a ballot measure to amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage.
The Field Poll, released Friday, is the first since the ballot measure, known as Proposition 8, was certified for the November election.
Fifty-one percent of likely voters said they would vote against the proposed amendment while 42-percent would support it.
The results show that the proposal is in trouble, Field Poll director Mark DiCamillo told the San Diego Times-Union newspaper.
DiCamillo said that usually ballot measures start out ahead, but as opponents begin raising doubts in the minds of the public lose support.
"Starting out behind is usually an ominous sign for a proposition," DiCamillo told The Times-Union. "Over 90 percent of propositions that start out behind get taken down."
The poll found that Republicans support amending the California constitution 68-percent to 27-percent while Democrats oppose it by about the same amount. Independent voters oppose the proposed amendment 66 percent to 27 percent.
The poll results are almost identical to a survey taken before the ballot measure was certified.
Supporters of the amendment say Field Polls overestimate support for gay unions.
In May the California Supreme Court struck down the state ban on same-sex marriage.
Hundreds of gay and lesbian couples began lining up for marriage licenses the following month when the ruling took effect.
Opponents of gay marriage began collecting signatures for the voter initiative.
Wednesday the state Supreme Court refused to hear a challenge by LGBT groups to declare the ballot initiative illegal.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger opposes the amendment and has said he will campaign against it
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