The Wall Street Journal's Metropolis blog:

Opponents of a gay marriage in New Jersey are mobilizing their supporters with a round of “robo-calls” against legislation that is set to get its first vetting Tuesday before a state senate committee.

“There’s an attempt by wealthy activists to force same sex marriage on New Jersey without a public vote. It’s urgent that you call your state senator and urge him to vote no on same sex legislation,” the call states.

Recipients are then directed to call their specific representatives in Trenton. The calls started going out about two weeks ago to about half a million people who have expressed opposition to same sex marriage in the past, according to Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, a group lobbying against the bill.

Legislators have received more than 10,000 calls from those opposed since the same-sex marriage legislation was first announced by Democrats two weeks ago, Brown said. Many supporters are in the southern reaches of the state, along with areas with large number of African-Americans, he said.

“It’s extensive,” Brown said of the “robo-call” effort.

Automatic calls were used by both proponents and opponents of same-sex marriage when the bill was first considered in New Jersey 2009. Democrats re-introduced gay marriage legislation two weeks ago.