"If we don't fight hard enough for the things we stand for, at some point we have to recognize that we don't really stand for them." —Paul Wellstone
Minnesota is one of four states where the issue of same-sex marriage is on the November 6 ballot. The others are Maine, Maryland, and Washington. In Minnesota, voters will be asked to decide if they support a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. The state's law already defines marriage as between one man and one woman, but proponents of the amendment argue that the amendment is necessary to prevent lawmakers or judges from "redefining" marriage in the future.
As one might expect from a bluish-purple state that has had to recount ballots in its last two major gubernatorial and senatorial elections, the marriage amendment will be close. A review of September polls by the Twin Cities' Pioneer Press led the paper to call the amendment a "tossup." A review of October polls by the Star Tribune led the paper to call it "excruciatingly close."