Unchurched are key bloc in Washington State’s vote on gay marriage

Conservatives in Washington State have claimed victory by collecting double the signatures needed to send the state’s same-sex marriage law to voters in this year’s general election.

And while leaders from Preserve Marriage Washington are confident residents will vote to keep marriage between a man and a woman, a wild card lies in their path—one that’s worth more than 4 million votes.

According to the 2010 U.S. Religion Census, more than half of the state’s 6.8 million residents don’t belong to a faith group. Preserve Marriage Washington, the organization behind the gay marriage petition (Referendum 74), is a coalition of community and religious groups, including the Washington State Catholic Conference.