Gay Marriage Bans Win Approval in 3 States

Amendments to ban gay marriage won approval Tuesday in three states — including Wisconsin, where gay-rights activists had nursed hopes of engineering the first defeat of such a ban, MSNBC.com reports.

Nationwide, a total of 205 measures were on the ballots in 37 states — ranging from routine bond issues to a riveting contest in South Dakota, where voters chose whether to uphold or reject a toughest-in-the-nation law that would ban virtually all abortions.

Activists on both sides of the abortion debate were on edge over the campaign, and early returns showed a close contest. If the ban is upheld, abortion-rights supporters are likely to launch a legal challenge that could lead all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Eight states had ban-gay-marriage amendments on their ballots; South Carolina and Virginia joined Wisconsin in approving them, while results were pending in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, South Dakota and Tennessee. Similar amendments have passed previously in all 20 states to consider them.

Colorado voters had an extra option — a measure that would grant domestic-partnership rights to same-sex couples.

Conservatives hoped the same-sex marriage bans might increase turnout for Republicans. Democrats looked for a boost from low-income voters turning out on behalf of measures to raise the state minimum wage in six states. The wage hike passed in Montana and Ohio; results were pending in Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Montana and Nevada.