The public wants the states to decide whether to recognize same-sex marriage: In a February CBS News/New York Times poll, 56 percent of the public wanted the issue decided state-by-state while 38 percent wanted a federal policy.
The public is split on the issue: An April AP/GfK poll found that 50 percent of the public wanted the Supreme Court to “rule that same-sex marriage must be legal nationwide,” while 48 percent disagreed.
The public wants all states to be forced to recognize same-sex marriage: A new Quinnipiac poll has 56 percent of the public wants the Supreme Court to rule “that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry, which would have the effect of legalizing same-sex marriage throughout the country.”
The justices should always follow the Constitution rather than the polls, but in this case that seems especially advisable.