UNPUBLISHED, REJECTED MANUSCRIPT NOT TO BE RESUBMITTED: Acting with Conviction: On the Roles of Moral and Religious Convictions in the Minnesota Same-Sex Marriage Constitutional Amendment Vote

We investigated how moral and religious convictions relate to voting on a same-sex marriage constitutional amendment. Using data collected before and after people voted on a state constitutional amendment, we examined the psychological conditions under which moral beliefs influence political choice. Voters high in purity-based moral concerns were more likely to vote to ban same-sex marriage, and voters high in fairness-based moral concerns were more likely to vote against banning same-sex marriage. These concerns were particularly important for voters with a moral or religious conviction regarding same-sex marriage. Furthermore, moral and religious convictions moderated the effect of the vote outcome on procedural and outcome fairness perceptions. These results build on prior theory and research in political and moral psychology by highlighting the importance of convictions when understanding the link between moral beliefs and political choice.