Are More Americans Backing Same-Sex Marriage?

Mariage for same-sex couples has proven one of the most controversial social issues during this year's Republican presidential race.

Most GOP candidates feel that marriage should remain between a man and a woman. Despite their views, it seems that more Americans are supporting a legal bond between gay couples, the New York Times reported.

A nationwide telephone poll asked 1,064 registered voters (225 were Catholic and 238 were evangelical Christians) about their take on marriage and civil unions for same-sex couples. Forty-four percent of Catholic voters believed that nuptials for gays and lesbians should be legalized, and 25 percent said they support civil unions. Only 24 percent of respondents said gays should not have the legal right to get married.

When it came to evangelical Christians, only 18 percent said same-sex couples should be allowed to marry and a quarter of them said they supported civil unions.

A Rutgers-Eagleton poll asked 914 registered New Jersey voters if they support marriage for gays and lesbians in the state. The state's Senate recently gave the green light to legalize same-sex marriage. Governor Chris Christie said he will veto the bill once it reaches his desk.

The poll said that 54 percent of voters support marriage equality and that 35 percent oppose it, the Los Angeles Times reported. The same poll found that 53 percent back Christie, who wants the voters to decide the issue in a November referendum.

A New Hampshire poll found that 59 percent of residents oppose a bill that would repeal New Hampshire's gay marriage law.

Additionally, an AP poll last September that surveyed 1,000 people found that 53 percent said that the government should legalize marriage for same-sex couples.