North Carolina Voters Approve Constitutional Amendment Preserving Traditional Definition of Marriage

CNN reports that yesterday North Carolina voters, by a 61%-39% majority, approved a state constitutional amendment barring same-sex marriage and civil unions. The vote was 1,303,952 for, and 831,788 against. The amendment (full text) provides:

Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State. This section does not prohibit a private party from entering into contracts with another private party; nor does this section prohibit courts from adjudicating the rights of private parties pursuant to such contracts.

With this vote, North Carolina becomes the 31st state to add a constitutional amendment preserving the traditional definition of marriage. Six states and the District of Columbia issue marriage licences to same-sex couples.