Economics, Education and Proposition 8

While it has been shown in several polls that a majority of non-white voters (mainly African-American and Latino) backed a ban on gay marriage, a new survey conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) has revealed that a voters’ position on Proposition 8 was tied closer to their level of education and income, rather than their race or ethnicity.

Among Californians, 69% of those with a high school diploma or less voted for Proposition 8, whereas 57% of those who are college graduates voted against it.

According to PPIC president Mark Baldassare;

“Both among whites and non-whites, among college graduates and among upper-income voters, Prop. 8 lost. Among both whites and non-whites, among non-college graduates and lower-income voters, Prop. 8 won. It seems to me that some of what we attributed to race and ethnic differences really had to do with a socioeconomic divide in regard to same-sex marriage.”

Baldassare also commented that Because African-Americans and Latinos tend to have lower incomes and a lower share of college graduates than whites, the racial voting pattern on same-sex marriage was really a reflection of education and income.