Kim Davis should have to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, most Americans say: poll

Nearly two-thirds of Americans say Rowan County, Kentucky, clerk Kim Davis should be required to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, despite Mrs. Davis’s stated refusal to do so on religious grounds.

Sixty-three percent said Mrs. Davis should be required to issue the licenses and 33 percent said she should not be required to do so, according to results from an ABC News/Washington Post poll released Tuesday.

When a conflict between someone’s religious beliefs and the need to treat everyone equally under the law arises, 74 percent said equality under the law is more important and 19 percent said someone’s religious beliefs are more important.

Mrs. Davis was held in contempt by a judge in Kentucky for her refusal to issue the licenses and was jailed briefly. She said this week she will not sign them, but her deputies could if they want to.

Forty-five percent said she should have to issue the licenses and said they support her jailing, 16 percent said she should have to issue the licenses but oppose her being jailed, and 33 percent oppose her having to issue the licenses.

Majorities of evangelical white Protestants and strong conservatives — 61 percent and 66 percent, respectively — said Mrs. Davis should not be required to issue the licenses.

“Support for the further step of jailing Davis peaks among liberals, those who are financially better off, college graduates, younger adults, Democrats and those who are not religiously affiliated,” said a polling memo accompanying the figures.

The survey produced by Langer Research Associates was conducted from Sept. 7-10 among a random national sample of 1,003 adults and has a margin of sampling error of 3.5 points.