The decision by the state Court of Appeals was a total victory for those who support a Marriage Protection Amendment to our state constitution, to ensure that marriage in Michigan remains only between one man and one woman and to ensure that what happened in Ontario and Massachusetts and San Francisco never happens here.

Efforts by opponents of the Marriage Protection Amendment to deny citizens the right to vote and decide this issue for ourselves have been rejected, as they should be. As half a million Michigan voters demanded in signing a petition, we will now have the right this November to vote 'yes' in favor of constitutionally protecting Michigan's existing one-man, one-woman marriage laws from court challenges that overturned marriage laws in other states and provinces such as neighboring Ontario.

The state Court of Appeals also rejected, as they should have, the "no" campaign's sneaky attempt to violate Michigan's constitution even further by having their own propaganda and scare tactics about the marriage amendment printed directly on the ballot. Instead, voters will see on the ballot the exact language they'll be voting to add to our constitution, nothing more, nothing less. Notably, the Court of Appeals ruled that the exact language of the Marriage Protection Amendment itself is a "true and impartial statement of the purpose of the amendment," a matter of common sense that's also required by our state constitution.

Now, with efforts to deny our constitutionally-guaranteed voting rights rejected, the broad coalition of Democrats and Republicans who favor preserving one-man, one-woman marriage for our children here in Michigan can and will work together to ensure a "yes" vote this November for the Marriage Protection Amendment.

With polls showing three out of four African-Americans planning to vote "yes" in favor of protecting one-man, one-woman marriage, we hope to see the largest African-American voter turnout in Michigan history, and we're confident this issue will bring tens of thousands of other people out to vote to protect marriage who may never have even registered to vote before.

Even after voters approve the Marriage Protection Amendment this November, Michigan voters should remain very concerned that two Democratic members of our Board of State Canvassers made clear in broad daylight that they cannot be trusted to obey, much less enforce, our constitutionally-guaranteed voting rights. If they'd done their job, wasting taxpayer dollars by going to court would have been unnecessary. Governor Granholm, who appointed them, should demand their resignation.

Bud Press is a Christian Investigative Researcher and the Director of Christian Research Service. As a service to the body of Christ he provides information, documentation and referral on a wide variety of issues to individuals, companies, pro-family groups, outreach ministries and the Christian news media.