Updated November 5, 2008 -8:30 am EST
(Washington) An amendment to the California constitution to overturn the state Supreme Court ruling granting gay and lesbian couples the right to marry appeared headed for victory Wednesday morning, but opponents are yet not willing to concede defeat.

Similar bans on same-sex marriage were approved by voters Tuesday in Florida and Arizona; while in Arkansas the electorate endorsed a measure to prevent same-sex couples from adopting.

Results from more than 90 percent of precincts throughout California show the proposed amendment with a slim two percent lead – 52 to 48 percent.

While the initiative’s supporters were celebrating, opponents insisted it was premature to concede. Late absentee and provisional ballots meant as many as 3 million ballots were left to be counted after all precinct votes were tallied.

It is the first time such a vote has taken place in state where gay unions are legal.

A study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law indicated that by Election Day 2008, approximately18,000 same-sex couples had married in California.

Exit polls reported by CNN show that while a slim majority of white voters said they rejected the amendment, an equally slim majority of African American and Hispanic voters said they had voted for the amendment.

The battle for and against the measure, known as Proposition 8, cost more than $67 million, making it one of the most expensive ballot campaigns in history. Much of the money on both sides came from outside California.

The highly charged campaign resulted in a number of incidents throughout California.

Last week, a cyber attack brought down the “No on Prop 8″campaign Web site. The FBI and Secret Service are investigating.

In Fresno, police are investigating death threats against two local supporters of Proposition 8 – Mayor Alan Autry and Pastor Jim Franklin of the Cornerstone Church.

In Torrance, a man has been charged with a felony hate crime assault for allegedly using an anti-gay marriage “Yes on Prop. 8″ lawn sign to attack a gay man wearing a “No on 8″button.

In Bakersfield, a local leader of the campaign for the ballot measure was videotaped at a pro-gay marriage rally kicking and punching a protester. The protester, who had been heckling him, declined to press charges.

In Roseville, three young people were arrested on suspicion of stealing “Yes on 8″ signs from several front yards.

Florida

In Florida, the ballot measure amends the state constitution to limit marriage to opposite sex couples and ban civil unions.

The amendment also could be used to deny partner benefits to unmarried couples who live together.

The amendment says, “Inasmuch as marriage is the legal union of only one man and one woman, no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized.”

Constitutional amendments in Florida require a 60 percent majority. The marriage amendment won with 62 percent of the vote. Thirty-eight percent were opposed.

Florida already had a law restricting marriage to opposite-sex couples, but supporters of the amendment say the law could be overturned in court.

Arizona

In Arizona, where a simple majority is needed to amend the state constitution, 56 percent of voters approved limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples.

It was the second time Arizona voters were asked to change the state’s constitution to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

Voters rejected a similar state constitutional amendment in 2006. That measure would have also stopped the state from recognizing civil unions of same-sex couples.

Arizona law already prohibits same-sex marriages. Supporters say the amendment will “protect the sanctity of families” by preventing judges from overturning the 1996 state law.

Arkansas

Arkansas, which already has a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, now will limit adoptions and foster care of children to people who are legally married.

The ballot measure passed Tuesday by a wide margin – 57-43 percent.

The measure grew out of a state Supreme Court ruling last year that overturned a Child Welfare Agency Review Board policy that banned gay people from serving as foster parents.

In its unanimous ruling, the court said that “the driving force behind adoption of the regulations was not to promote the health, safety and welfare of foster children but rather based upon the board’s views of morality and its bias against homosexuals.”

The Arkansas Family Council – the same group that spearheaded Arkansas’ constitutional ban on same-sex marriage – collected enough signatures to place the adoption referendum before voters.

Connecticut

In Connecticut, a potential anti-gay measure was also on the ballot. Connecticut voters turned down a call for state constitutional convention.

Under the state constitution, the question automatically goes on the ballot only every 20 years.

Earlier this year, the state Supreme Court ruled that Connecticut’s civil unions law failed to provide equality. The first same-sex marriages in the state are slated to begin Nov. 12.

By chance, the automatic ballot question came up this year, raising fears that if voters agreed to a constitutional convention it would have been used to ban gay marriage.

The Family Institute of Connecticut had gone on record calling for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.