Eight states voted on Constitutional amendments to ban marriage for same-sex couples: Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Arizona, South Dakota, Idaho and Colorado. One state, Colorado, also had a ballot measure asking approval for a domestic partner registry.

UPDATE; November 8, 11:00am, From the Washington Blade: Seven States Pass Marriage Bans

The following are the results of anti-gay marriage amendments and the Colorado DP measure (via Advocate.com, as of 12:15am, 11/8/06):

Prosposed state constitutional bans on same-sex marriage and, in some instances, all legal recognition of unmarried couples

Arizona, Proposition 107
Yes: 48%
No: 52%
(74% of precincts reporting)

Colorado, Amendment 43
Yes: 58%
No: 42%
(22% of precincts reporting)

Idaho, Amendment 2
Yes: 70%
No: 30%
(8% of precincts reporting)

South Carolina, Amendment 1
Yes: 78%
No: 22%
(96% of precincts reporting)

South Dakota, Amendment C
Yes: 51%
No: 49%
(52% precincts reporting)

Tennessee, Amendment 1
Yes: 81%
No: 19%
(87% of precincts reporting)

Virginia, Amendment 1
Yes: 57%
No: 43%
(99% of precincts reporting)

Wisconsin, Question 1
Yes: 58%
No: 42%
(45% precincts reporting)

State referendums that would provide legal recognition to same-sex couples

Colorado, Referendum I: Domestic Partnership
Yes: 45%
No: 55%
(22% of precincts reporting)

An Associated Press article posted by the Washington Blade has called the results in four of the states: The amendments have passed in Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

Every Southern state with the sole exception of North Carolina now has a Constitutional amendment banning marriage by same-sex couples.

Some of these amendments, including Virginia (which is one of the worst amendments) bans all possible legal recognition of the relationships of LGBT people and their families, including wills and power-of-attorney agreements.

Virginia’s Governor, Tim Kaine (a Democrat), had publicly voiced his opposition to the amendment. While I’m upset Virginia passed such an amendment, I look at the results (57%-43%) and I realize that it could have been so, so much worse. I told a friend and fellow young activist a while back that the fact that this amendment would eventually pass was already known months ago. A victory, of some sorts, has happened in Virginia. Almost half of Virginians did not vote for discrimination; that isn’t a loss and it should be celebrated.

The lone success on marriage issues in this election cycle may come from Arizona, where those voting against the anti-gay amendment currently outweigh those voting for it.

THESE RESULTS WILL BE UPDATED AS SOON AS MORE INFORMATION IS KNOWN.

UPDATE, 3:30am, 11/8/06: With the exception of Arizona (see Arizona rejects anti-gay marriage amendment), CNN has forecasted the marriage amendments in each of the 7 other states have passed. CNN has also projected that the Colorado DP measure has failed.

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