New Times / News

Ballot results from across the nation

BY ANA KORGAN

What do legal pot, gay marriage, and challenges to Obamacare have in common besides a really awesome weekend? Answer: They were some of the 176 ballot measures voted on nationwide.

On Nov. 6, two states voted to legalize marijuana for recreational use; Colorado and Washington both passed their respective measures 55 to 45 percent. Massachusetts approved marijuana for medical use, 63 to 37 percent. However, three other states rejected measures to legalize medical marijuana: Oregon, 55 to 45 percent; Montana, 57 to 43 percent; and Arkansas, 51 to 49 percent.

Same-sex marriage made some major strides. Measures to legalize it passed in Maryland, 52 to 48 percent; and Maine, 53 to 47 percent. Legalization of same-sex marriage was leading 52 to 48 percent in Washington as of press time. And Minnesota voted 51 to 48 percent to thwart a ban on same-sex marriage.

Health care, of course, was another hot topic, particularly in GOP-dominated states. Florida shut down a measure that would have halted government funding for abortions, 55 to 45 percent. Three states voted to limit provisions of the Affordable Care Act—commonly known as Obamacare—within state lines: Montana, 67 to 33 percent; Wyoming, 77 to 23 percent; and Alabama, 59 to 41 percent. Florida voted against a similar measure 51 to 49 percent.