2007 Alslandic same-sex Marriage referendum
| 2007 Alslandic same-sex Marriage referendum |
|---|
|
| Location |  Alsland |
|---|
| Date | 15 June 2007 (2007-06-15) |
|---|
Results
|
|
Votes
|
%
|
 Yes
|
3,935,311
|
7001592600000000000♠59.26%
|
 No
|
2,705,508
|
7001407400000000000♠40.74%
|
| Valid votes
|
6,640,819
|
7001995600000000000♠99.56%
|
| Invalid or blank votes
|
29,151
|
6999440000000000000♠0.44%
|
| Total votes
|
6,669,970
|
100.00%
|
| Registered voters/turnout
|
7,963,944
|
7001837500000000000♠83.75%
| |
| Results by province
|
|
|
| How the electorate voted, by province. Proportion of the valid poll voting yes:
| |
| Source: Alslandic Government |
The 2007 Alslandic Same-Sex Marriage referendum took place on 15 June 2007 in Alsland to ask the electorate whether Alsland should legalise same-sex marriages. Prior to the referendum same-sex couples were allowed to enter civil unions and foreign marriages were recognised. The government of Jabik Nieuwenhuis promised a referendum on same-sex marriage in their manifesto for the 2005 General election. The referendum resulted in 59.3% of votes being cast in favour of legalising same-sex marriage. The resulting Marriage Act 2007 was passed nearly unanimously in the Folkssenaat and was signed by President Onne Monsma on August 11, 2005. The act came into force on November 23 2007 the day after Jabik Nieuwenhuis was removed from office by Onne Monsma. The first same-sex marriage ceremony in Alsland occurred on November 29 2007.
Background
History
Support and Opposition
Party positions
Yes Campaign
No Campaign
Public opinion
| Date |
Firm |
Yes |
No |
Undecided |
Sample size
|
| 11–14 June 2007
|
ANS
|
55%
|
42%
|
3%
|
1,000
|
| 2–8 June 2007
|
Hjoed
|
62%
|
38%
|
-
|
1,200
|
| 25–30 May 2007
|
TBD
|
56%
|
42%
|
2%
|
1,200
|
| 26–29 May 2007
|
Hjoed
|
60%
|
40%
|
-
|
1,000
|
| 19–24 May 2007
|
TBD
|
54%
|
46%
|
-
|
1,730
|
| 10–14 May 2007
|
JaAlslân
|
59%
|
39%
|
2%
|
1,500
|
| 2–6 May 2007
|
Yndyktinkt
|
66%
|
30%
|
4%
|
1,800
|
| 15-20 April 2007
|
TBD
|
52%
|
45%
|
3%
|
1,000
|
| 4-8 April 2007
|
TBD
|
56%
|
44%
|
-
|
1,200
|
| 25-27 March 2007
|
TBD
|
57%
|
40%
|
3%
|
1,250
|
| 20-23 March 2007
|
Hjoed
|
60%
|
40%
|
-
|
1,500
|
Campaign
Advertising
Abuse and vandalism
Mental health
Attempted assassination of Jabik Nieuwenhuis
On 14 June 2007, the day before the scheduled date of the referendum and the final day of campaigning, Tilman Schricker a 42 year old man from Garz attempted to stab Premier Jabik Nieuwenhuis with a 12 inch Kitchen Knife at a campaign visit in Werdau. Nieuwenhuis escaped injury after Schricker stabbed a police officer in the shoulder who had been preventing Schricker from approaching Nieuwenhuis. Schricker was detained immediately after this and Nieuwenhuis was evacuated. Campaigning was suspended nationwide for the rest of the day.
When questioned following his arrest, Schricker didn't cite the referendum as a cause for the attempted assassination but it was later revealed that Schricker was a member of the anti-LGBT Stadtbäumer Foundation which had vigorously opposed the referendum. However initial reports in the media said the attempted assassination was motivated by the decision to hold the referendum and Nieuwenhuis' support for same-sex marriage.
Result
National result
2007 Alslandic Same-sex Marriage referendum
| Choice
|
Votes
|
%
|
| Yes
|
3,935,311
|
59.3
|
| No
|
2,705,508
|
40.7
|
Referendum results
Yes:
3,935,311 (59.3%)
|
No:
2,705,508 (40.7%)
|
| ▲
|
Result by Province
Breakdown of voting by province
| Province
|
Yes
|
No
|
Invalid
|
| Votes |
%
|
Votes |
%
|
| Delland
|
950,928
|
63.2%
|
541,668
|
36%
|
0.8%
|
| Fawkhamshire
|
378,737
|
54.8%
|
310,315
|
44.9%
|
0.3%
|
| Garz
|
580,737
|
55.4%
|
480,104
|
45.8%
|
0.8%
|
| Hamptonshire
|
591,191
|
61.2%
|
364,181
|
37.7%
|
1.1%
|
| Martiland
|
284,287
|
51.8%
|
260,688
|
47.5%
|
0.7%
|
| Middewald
|
352,279
|
65.3%
|
185,040
|
34.3%
|
0.4%
|
| Yndyk
|
378,286
|
71.3%
|
149,086
|
28.1%
|
0.6%
|
| Zittau
|
418,866
|
49.8%
|
420,592
|
50%
|
0.2%
|
Aftermath
Marriage Act 2007
Reactions
Criticism
Plans to hold a referendum were criticised by several LGBT rights advocacy groups who called the decision to have the majority vote on the rights of a minority group. During initial debates on holding a referendum, Senator Emo Akkerman who is openly Bisexual said that holding a referendum could set a dangerous precedence for other countries to deny LGBT citizens their rights if a referendum is held. Akkerman voted to hold the referendum during the vote on the issue.
In 2011, Premier Jonathan Fraser criticised the move to hold a referendum saying that the process would have been much faster had the Marriage Act 2007 been voted on in the Folkssenaat where there was overwhelming support for it. Fraser was outed as Gay in 2003 and was one of the most prominent figures within the 'Yes' campaign.
List of Alslandic governments
Yes