A University of Florida study has determined that voters’ levels of education played a bigger part than race in passing the state’s law banning marriage equality last November.

It was speculated, both in post Prop 8-California and post Amendment 2-Florida, that a large number of blacks, drawn to the polls to vote for then-nominee Obama, contributed the largest source of votes in passing the anti-equality amendments.

The new study, to be released on Thursday, challenges the assumption. Daniel Smith, a co-author of the study, explains.

“Our research challenges the assumption that the surge of black voters who turned out in unusually large numbers in support of Obama were also in favor of banning gay marriage,” said Smith. “We found...