Gay couples in California rushed to set wedding dates this week after the California Supreme Court's unusually quick rejection of challenges to its historic decision permitting same-sex couples to wed. By rejecting petitions asking for reconsideration of the 15 May ruling, the court, in a 4-3 vote, removed the final obstacle to same-sex marriages starting 17 June, reports the Los Angeles Times. The court also refused to delay enforcement of the decision until after the November election, when voters will decide whether to reinstate a ban on same-sex nuptials. County clerks have been warned to prepare for an onslaught of weddings. As of 17 June, the words 'bride' and 'groom' on marriage licenses will be replaced with 'Partner A' and 'Partner B'. A soon-to-be-released study by the Williams Institute at UCLA's School of Law predicts that thousands of gay couples will rush to the altar before the November election.