Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - A new statewide poll by Siena College, released two weeks before the election, shows a majority of New York voters support Proposition 1, also known as the Equal Rights Amendment.
"There's overwhelming support among New York voters," pollster Steve Greenberg told WBEN on Tuesday.
"69% of New Yorkers said they will vote yes on Proposition 1, while 22% say they will vote no," he said.
There is a wide partisan divide. 89% of Democrats support it, as do 62% of Independents. But Republicans, by a 50% to 36% margin, say they plan to vote against it.
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When asked how familiar voters were to the proposition, Greenberg said 91% of respondents said they were planning to vote either yes or no.
"One percent of respondents said they were not planning to vote on it and 8% said they did not know," added Greenberg.
Breaking it down even further, we asked if there was a geographic, or upstate downstate divide.
"84% of New York City voters support Prop 1 along with 69% of downstate suburban voters. Among upstate voters, it's supported by a 57% to 33% margin. Support is not quite as strong upstate as it is downstate, but there is still strong support upstate," he noted.
The proposal, also known as the Equal Rights Amendment, looks to expand protections against discrimination to people based on sexual orientation and gender identity It also would protect abortion access. Opponents of the amendment say it would allow transgender students to play on girls sports teams.
This is how Siena worded the question in its poll:
"An amendment to the State Constitution that has been called the Equal Rights Amendment is on the ballot in November. The amendment expands protections against discrimination from only race and religion to include others like ethnicity, disability, sex, sexual orientation and gender expression. It also protects abortion rights. Will you vote yes or no on this amendment?"
Unlike previous elections, the proposition will appear on the front of the ballot, not the back of it.
The Siena College Poll was conducted October 13-17, 2024, among 872 likely voters in New York, via telephone. It has an overall margin of error of +/- 4.2 percentage points.