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Roughly 160 ballot initiatives were voted on this election. Here's what voters decided

By NPR Staff

Published November 6, 2024 at 1:48 PM EST

Patrick T. Fallon

AFP via Getty Images

The USPS Election Mail logo is displayed as ballots sit in a tray inside the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center (MCTEC) on Election Day, Nov. 5, in Phoenix, Arizona.

Updated November 06, 2024 at 14:58 PM ET

This piece originally appeared as part of NPR's live coverage of the 2024 election. For more election coverage from the NPR Network head to our live updates page.

Measures appeared on the ballot in 41 states and focused on issues ranging from abortion access, to noncitizen voting and marijuana legalization, to legalization of some psychedelics.

More: Full state-by-state results

Here's where things stand.

Abortion

There were 11 abortion-related ballot measures this election, a record for a single year, including:

Arizona: voters passed a constitutional amendment guaranteeing abortion access.
Nebraska: Voters opted to keep a 12-week abortion ban in place.
Nevada: Voters took the first step to protecting abortion in their state constitution.
New York: Voters approved an amendment to the state constitution designed to protect the state’s current access to abortion.
Montana: Voters approved a measure that would protect reproductive rights in their state's constitution.
Colorado: Voters approved a proposal to put protections for reproductive rights into the state constitution.

Here's a full breakdown on where abortion issues ended up.

Marijuana legalization

Four states voted on marijuana legalization, including for recreational use in Florida, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Florida: Voters did not get the necessary 60% of the vote to legalize marijuana.
North Dakota: Voters decided not to legalize recreational marijuana.
South Dakota: Votes are still being tallied as of publication. Find the latest here.

Same-Sex Marriage

Same-sex marriages became legal nationwide in 2015, but with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, there are concerns that something similar could happen to the legality of same-sex unions. Three states voted to protect same-sex marriage at the state level.

California: Voters passed Proposition 3, guaranteeing the right for same-sex, as well as interracial, couples to marry.
Colorado: Voters passed Amendment J, repealing a ban on same-sex unions.
Hawaii: Votes are still being tallied on whether or not to repeal Section 23 of the state constitution, which says the legislature has the power to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples.

Psychedelic legalization

Massachusetts: A measure would have allowed people 21 and older to consume psychedelics like psilocybin mushrooms at licensed therapy centers, as well as grow small amounts at home, was rejected by voters.

Minimum wage

Voters in two red states approved ballot measures to raise the minimum wage and require employers to provide paid sick time to their workers.

Alaska: Voters approved a gradually rise to $15 per hour by July 1, 2027, up from $11.73 currently, the lowest on the West Coast. After that, the minimum wage will be adjusted to keep pace with inflation.
Missouri: Voters approved a gradually rise to $15 an hour by January 1, 2026, up from $12.30 currently. Starting in 2027, an annual inflation adjustment will also be applied.