During this week’s historic U.S. election, voters in California, Florida and Arizona cast their ballots against the issue of same-sex marriage. Connecticut and Massachusetts are now the only states that allow it.

We’re tracking perspectives from The Associated Press, WFLA in Tampa, The Arizona Republic, Sacramento’s KCRA-TV, The San Francisco Chronicle and Bay Area radio station KQED.

In California, opponents of Proposition 8, which eliminated the rights of same-sex couples to marry, gathered in Los Angeles and San Francisco to protest.

One voter told KCRA-TV the vote is not the end of the story.

“It will never be over. We will never surrender our fundamental right to marriage under the constitution, ever. So there may be litigation, there may be other measures . . .whatever it takes, we will never, ever stop.” (KCRA-TV)

Proposition 8 was front-page news across the state, and litigation is already taking shape, reports Bay Area radio station KQED.

“Gay rights groups filed a lawsuit today with the California Supreme Court, seeking to invalidate Proposition 8. The groups argue that the civil rights of a minority can’t be put to a popular vote, and the Proposition would be a significant revision to the underlying principles of the state constitution.” (KQED)

The San Francisco Chronicle framed the passage of Proposition 8 as a sea change in voting behavior.

“Californians voted their religion, not their political party when they pushed Proposition 8 to victory.” The article cited exit polling done by Edison Media Research that showed that many Obama supporters also backed Prop 8.
“While exit polls showed that 59 percent of Catholics backed President-elect Barack Obama, they turned around and voted for Prop. 8 by 64 percent to 31 percent...” (San Francisco Chronicle)

In Arizona, voters approved Proposition 102, a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman.
The Arizona Republic reports that AP and local television networks found religion was a major factor in voting behavior, as was age.

“Exit polling found Protestants supporting the measure, Catholics evenly divided and nonreligious voters voting against it. The youngest voters were split for and against, with support for Proposition 102 increasing among voters in older age groups. Voters age 65 or over were solidly for the amendment.” (AZCentral.com)

In Florida, where the marriage amendment passed 62 percent to 37 percent, a political analyst told WFLA Channel 8 that there is hope for the future for supporters of same-sex marriage.

“People with traditional views of marriage are older voters. People with less traditional views, younger voters. This issue, more than any other, exemplifies the generational divide in American politics.”
“The U.S. Constitution says that the legal actions of one state need to be recognized in another. And so obviously with two states already recognizing gay marriage, this issue is headed for the U.S. Supreme Court.” (WFLA-TV)

Is same-sex marriage a civil rights issue? Should it be decided at the state or national level in the U.S.? We invite you to visit our sources and comment here at Newsy.com.