It’s a Yes as SSM support gathers pace in the post: Newspoll

Support for same-sex marriage has gained more ground in the final weeks of the postal survey to be ­revealed tomorrow | Exclusive

A special Newspoll shows the support for change reached its highest level at the end of the public campaign. Picture: AFP

Support for same-sex marriage has gained more ground in the final weeks of the postal survey, with the Yes vote climbing to 63 per cent among those who have cast their votes in the tally to be ­revealed tomorrow.

A special Newspoll shows the support for change reached its highest level at the end of the public campaign, even though ­Coalition and One Nation voters tended to shift against marriage equality as the voting deadline neared.

While the No campaign made a strong start in the early weeks of the survey, it has secured only 37 per cent support among those who have already voted, adding more weight to expectations that the official survey will endorse the change.

Across the community, 58 per cent favour change while 35 per cent oppose it, but this includes about one in every five voters who did not send back their survey ­envelopes. Among those who did not vote, 41 per cent were undecided on the change while the rest were almost equally divided between the Yes and No sides.

The first Newspoll after the public survey began found 61 per cent support among those who had already voted or were “definitely” going to vote, but this fell to 59 per cent among those who had already voted three weeks later.

Support rose to 62 per cent in a Newspoll published on November 1 before rising to 63 per cent in this latest survey.

 

As Liberals and Nationals prepare for a debate over religious safeguards in any marriage equality reform, the new poll shows 47 per cent of Coalition voters ­oppose the change while 46 per cent are in favour.

This is a reversal from the findings in the middle of last month, when 48 per cent of Coalition voters were in favour and 47 per cent were against, but the shift is within the margin of error for the poll.

Malcolm Turnbull said yesterday he expected and hoped for a Yes vote in the official postal survey result, which the Australian Bureau of Statistics will reveal in Canberra at 10am tomorrow.

Bill Shorten said the outcome should lead to a swift vote in parliament to enact the reform. “If Australians vote Yes on marriage equality ... I think that if we were not to implement a decision on marriage equality, the ­nation would throw up its hands and give up on the parliament,” the Opposition Leader said. While 67 per cent of Labor voters favoured marriage equality in October, that climbed to 72 per cent in the latest survey. The support was stronger among Greens voters, rising from 86 to 89 per cent over the same period.

Opposition to same-sex marriage is strongest among One Nation voters, with those against the change rising from 58 to 60 per cent in the Newspoll results throughout the public campaign.