The increasingly costly and bitter fight over a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage is a statistical dead heat, according to a new Star Tribune Minnesota Poll.

Six weeks before Election Day, slightly more Minnesotans favor the amendment than oppose it, but that support also falls just short of the 50 percent needed to pass the measure.

Among likely voters, 49 percent would approve constitutional language that defines marriage as only the union of a man and woman. Another 47 percent oppose the measure, while 4 percent are undecided. Minnesota law requires any change to the Constitution to capture a majority of all ballots cast. That means a voter who skips the question is counted as a no vote.

... The slight edge for the pro-amendment side, while not outside the margin of error, shows "we are in good shape and reinforces our belief that if we execute our game plan, we will pass the amendment," said Frank Schubert, who leads that effort for Minnesota for Marriage. The other side, he said, "has not moved the needle" from a year ago, even after a months-long campaign. -- The StarTribune