The State Of Marriage Equality In 5 Maps

The first four maps show why the next six weeks could be key for marriage equality.

1. Here’s where things start: Just more than 10 percent of the country lives in a state where same-sex couples can marry.

2. But, voters in Maine, Maryland and Washington will vote on marriage in November. And, the Supreme Court could decide to let a lower court ruling stand finding California’s Proposition 8 unconstitutional.

3. If all 4 of those states get marriage equality, more than a quarter of the country would live in a place where same-sex couples can marry.

4. Adding in states with significant, but non-marital, recognition for same-sex couples, nearly 4 in 10 Americans would live in a place where same-sex couples would have their relationship recognized.

5. But, despite those possibilities, marriage equality supporters have a roadblock: More than 6 in 10 Americans today live in a state with a constitutional ban on same-sex marriages. (And Minnesotans will be voting on an amendment in November.)

Images designed by John Gara/BuzzFeed.