No. 2 Story of the Year: Northfield Says No to Minnesota Marriage Amendment

As the end of the year approaches, Patch recaps the biggest stories of 2012—both in terms of pageviews and impact on the Northfield community.

It was a simple yes or no question:

Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to provide that only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Minnesota? Marriage between two gay individuals is not currently recognized by Minnesota law. A ballot cast with no vote on this question will count as a "no" vote. This amendment would also invalidate common-law marriages for straight couples.

A question, it turned out, that a majority of Northfielders vehemently opposed. More than 73 percent of ballots cast in Northfield opposed the amendment.

But a movement to defeat the measure started months earlier.

As opponents across Minnesota rallied support, three significant votes took place in Northfield before election day: Both the St. Olaf and Carleton College faculties passed resolutions opposing the amendment, as did the Northfield City Council.

Below is a look at all the headlines coming out of Northfield related to the Vote No effort.

• Northfield City Council Passes Resolution Opposing Minnesota Marriage Amendment
• Carleton College Faculty Opposes Minnesota Marriage Amendment
• Marriage Amendment: Should the Northfield City Council Oppose It?
• St. Olaf Faculty Opposes Minnesota Marriage Amendment
• Marriage Amendment Opponents Conduct Phonathon at Northfield Church
• Carleton Responds to Petition to Oppose Marriage Amendment
• Alumni Petition Carleton College to Oppose Marriage Amendment
• Minnesota Companies that Oppose the Marriage Amendment
• Minnesota Companies that Support the Marriage Amendment
• Just Food Co-op Signs as Coalition Partner with Minnesotans United for All Families
• POLL: Do You Approve Of The Marriage Amendment's Ballot Title?
• Why I Am Voting Yes for the Minnesota Marriage Amendment
• A Legacy—A Poem Opposing the Minnesota Marriage Amendment
• The Soul of the Thing
• One Reason I Oppose the Marriage Amendment: The Children
• For the Sake of Minnesota's Constitution—JUST VOTE NO!
• VIDEO: Rice County Group Launches Campaign Against MarriageAmendment
• PHOTOS: Rice County Group Launches Campaign Against Marriage Amendment
• MN Marriage Amendment Got Majority Support in Only One Patch City
• Letter to the Editor: Vote No on Minnesota Marriage Amendment
• What Do You Believe—Love or Fear?
• LTE: Vote No on Amendment 1 to Continue the Conversation Regarding Marriage Equality
• MN Marriage Amendment Fails: 'Vote No' Wins

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