Is it surprising that Virginia didn't get ~70% yes like all other southern states?
Virginia's referendum banned same-sex marriage, civil unions, and anything else that simulates the appearance of marriage. It was basically a carbon copy of the Ohio law. And the law is so strict that it has unintended consequences: one of the problems is enforcing domestic violence statutes in relation to unmarried heterosexual couples -- there have been cases in Ohio thrown out because the defense has successfully argued the marriage amendment prevents them from being prosecuted like a spouse would.
An amendment that just said "marriage is between a man and a woman" would have easily passed with 70% of the vote, but this was so controversial, even the right-wing Richmond Times-Dispatch endorsed the "no" position. (As a comparison, they were the only daily paper in Virginia to endorse Jim Gilmore over Mark Warner.)
The Ohio Supreme Court eventually held the anti-gay marriage amendment did not prevent such DV prosecutions. The only politically feasable ruling the near all GOP court could make.
