State amendment approved

Published 3:26 pm Thursday, May 10, 2012

Voters across theNorth Carolinaapparently feel that a state constitutional amendment is needed to define marriage.

As part of Tuesday’s Primary Election, Tar Heel voters approved the wording of an amendment, which states that marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State.

With all counties reporting their totals, the amendment was approved by 61.04 percent of the voters (1,303,876 ballots were cast in favor). On the other side of the coin, 832,219 voters were against adding that wording to the State Constitution.

Ninety-two of the state’s 100 counties saw a majority of their voters in favor of the measure. Voters in Dare, Buncombe, Chatham,Durham, Mecklenburg,Orange, Wake and Watauga counties were in the majority of voting against the amendment.

Locally, the majority of voters in all four Roanoke-Chowan area counties supported the addition of the amendment.

The measure carried inBertieCountywith 3,445 in favor and 1,267 against. Of the county’s 12 precincts, only one (Snakebite) saw more opposing the amendment than were in support.

InGatesCounty, the amendment carried in all six precincts, with a final tally of 1,761 in support and 632 against.

The majority ofHertfordCountyvoters in all 13 precincts favored the measure (3,817 – for; 1,627 against).

The measure also passed inNorthamptonCounty, favored by 3,282 voters with 1,898 in opposition. The majority of voters in the Garysburg, Gaston andWoodlandprecincts were opposed to the amendment.

About Cal Bryant

Cal Bryant, a 40-year veteran of the newspaper industry, serves as the Editor at Roanoke-Chowan Publications, publishers of the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald, Gates County Index, and Front Porch Living magazine.

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