Ohio voters are not convinced their state should join the legalization of same-sex marriage sweeping the country, a new Dispatch Poll shows. By 3 percentage points - 46 to 43 percent - they oppose a gay-marriage proposal currently getting signatures to appear on the statewide ballot, probably in two years.

Ohio voters are not convinced their state should join the legalization of same-sex marriage sweeping the country, a new Dispatch Poll shows.

By 3 percentage points - 46 to 43 percent - they oppose a gay-marriage proposal currently getting signatures to appear on the statewide ballot, probably in two years.

Of course, that's still a huge turnaround for a state that a decade ago voted 62 to 38 percent to define marriage in the Ohio Constitution as solely between one man and one woman. And the poll was taken of likely voters for today's election, which many Democrats are skipping. Ohio's electorate could be far different in 2016, a presidential election year.

The biggest qualifier of all is that the U.S. Supreme Court may make the Ohio petition drive moot by ruling on the constitutionality of gay marriage before it ever gets on the ballot. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Cincinnati, currently is mulling cases from Ohio and three other states. Many experts say the ruling by that three-judge panel - especially if it upholds restrictions on same-sex marriage - could set the stage for definitive action by the Supreme Court.

Prepare for the polls with the Dispatch Voters Guide

Gay marriage is now legal in 32 states and the District of Columbia, although that was achieved through a vote of the public in only three states (Maine, Maryland and Washington).

The Dispatch Poll is believed to be the first public survey on the exact wording of Ohio's revamped gay-marriage proposal. Many polls simply ask if people favor or oppose same-sex marriage.

Supporters of the proposed constitutional amendment changed the wording of their proposal last spring after the U.S. Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby decision, which allowed the company to avoid federal requirements to provide health-insurance coverage for birth-control methods that the company views as causing abortion. The company's leaders have strong religious beliefs.

The initial version of the amendment, which already has garnered more than 650,000 signatures, exempted "religious institutions" from recognizing gay marriage. That language was revamped to say only that a "house of worship" or its clergy did not have to perform a gay marriage; it now would prevent religiously affiliated hospitals, educational institutions, child-care centers and the like from refusing to legally recognize same-sex marriage.

Dispatch Poll participants comment on same-sex marriage

The new poll shows familiar divisions: Republicans and older voters oppose the same-sex-marriage measure; Democrats and those under 35 favor it. Protestants are against the proposal 56 to 35 percent; Catholics oppose it 46 to 42 percent; those whose religion is "none" favor it 76 to 16 percent.

Much of the opposition to same-sex marriage, judging from follow-up email interviews with poll respondents, is indeed based on religion.

"Marriage is between a man and a woman. Most religions back this premise," said retiree Tom Manoff, 75, of Mason.

At the other end of the state, Mary Wilson, 81, of Warren, said, "I oppose same-sex marriage because marriage is between a man & women according to the Bible."

Carlos Rosario, 58, a maintenance manager/plant engineer from Youngstown, said he also supports keeping Ohio's definition of marriage as solely between one man and one woman because of his religious beliefs. He added, "I am tired of the rights of the few trumping the rights of the many."

But a couple of clergymen in the poll had answers you might not expect.

A 50-year-old pastor from Columbus, Samuel Adeyemi, described his stance this way: "I'm actually indifferent, but chose to vote opposing on my religion ground."

Retired United Methodist Church pastor Herman Emmert, 83, of Lebanon, said, "I support repealing Ohio's ban on same-sex marriage because we are all created in God's image and are all God's children who should have the freedom to share love in the unity of marriage with the person with whom we want to share our lives with."

The rapid societal changes surrounding the gay-marriage issue are disconcerting to some.

Barbara Mogren, 55, a pharmacist from Grove City, said, "This is an issue I have long struggled with.Although biblically, Ipersonally oppose same-sex marriage, I cannot discount the commitment and love that many same-sex couples thatI know have. This is an issue I continue to work through but for now, I oppose same-sex marriage."

Others admit they've changed their mind in recent years.

New Albany resident Dan Hilson, 55, a lawyer and Statehouse lobbyist, said, "Numerous studies indicate that hormones and genetics have a major impact on sexual orientation. Equal treatment under the law is a fundamental right. No person should be discriminated against because of his or her choice of religion nor for his or her race, color, sex, age, disability, national origin or sexual orientation.

"Even though I voted for the amendment back in 2004, my evolution and understanding of sexual orientation now causes me to oppose a marriage ban because it denies fundamental equal treatment. If the Pope does not cast moral judgment, who am I to do so?"

And many said a change is overdue.

"I don't believe that the government has or should haveany role in how … two consenting adults choose to associate themselves, especially when there's no harm to the greater society," said Lincoln King-Cliby, a 30-year-old technology consultant from Cleveland Heights.

"Most arguments I've heard against same-sex marriage are based in religious teachings, and I don't believe that one's (or even a majority's) religious beliefs should be forced upon someone who doesn't subscribe to the same beliefs - much less forced through a government action."

An associate English professor at Mountwest Community and Technical College in Huntington, W.Va., Eliot Parker, 35, of Chesapeake, Ohio, said, "The fact that two people love each other and want to have the same rights as heterosexual married couples through a matrimonial unionis something that should be celebrated, not feared. They should be treated equally, no matter what their sexual preference."

Bob Hatton, 67, a Pataskalaretiree, said, "People should have the right and the freedom to marry whomever they want to in this country. Those who oppose it should move to a Muslim country."

The mail poll of 1,009 likely Ohio voters from Oct. 22 through Friday has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.

drowland@dispatch.com

@OhioPoliticsNow