Tuesday's midterm elections were a huge sweep for Democrats, among other takeaways.
And across 39 states — plus Washington, D.C. and the Northern Mariana Islands — voters weighed in on 146 statewide ballot measures spanning issues from taxes to transgender rights to traffic cameras to data centers and AI.
Here's a look at some of those results.
Three states moved to preserve abortion access
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, leaving the legality and regulation of abortion up to each state. In subsequent elections, over a dozen states have put access to abortion on their ballots — and overwhelmingly moved to secure it.
This year, four states considered abortion measures. Three passed, while Idaho voted to preserve the state's abortion ban from 2022.
In Missouri, voters rejected a Republican-led amendment that would have banned abortion with few exceptions. The move affirms support for abortion just two years after voters mobilized to reject Missouri's ban, which was one of the strictest in the country.
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Nevada residents voted to enshrine abortion up to the point of viability in their constitution. They did so for the second election in a row, since state law requires a proposed constitutional amendment to pass twice.
Virginians voted to create a "fundamental right to reproductive freedom" in their constitution. That includes the right to an abortion during the first two trimesters (and afterward in certain cases), as well as the right to contraception, fertility, postpartum care and more.
States voted on voting
Many states considered changes to how they run their elections.
It was too early to call Wednesday afternoon whether voters had approved some of the more far-reaching changes, in Alaska and Arizona.
Other states — including Nevada, North Carolina and Ohio — passed measures toughening identification requirements for voters, while California voted against such an effort.
Several states — including Alaska, Arkansas, Kansas, South Dakota and West Virginia — approved measures reinforcing that U.S. citizenship is required to vote in their elections.
Redistricting was also top of mind for voters. President Trump kicked off a redistricting race earlier this year by urging Republican-led states to redraw their districts ahead of the midterms. Republicans and Democrats in multiple states did so. But many of the districts altered to boost GOP prospects ultimately went to Democratic candidates.
Missouri voters rejected a Republican-friendly congressional map, while Maryland voters passed a redistricting amendment that could pave the way for a Democrat-leaning map in 2028.
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Virginians passed a measure automatically restoring voting rights to anyone convicted of a felony once they have completed their sentence.
A mixed bag for LGBTQ rights
Virginians also passed a constitutional amendment officially repealing its ban on gay marriage and adding language confirming that the commonwealth will recognize marriage between two adults regardless of their sex, gender or race.
Virginia's ban has been moot since the Supreme Court made same-sex marriage legal nationwide in 2015, but this measure is seen as a safeguard in case Obergefell v. Hodges gets reversed (as some have feared in the wake of the court's overturning of Roe v. Wade). Other states have made similar moves, including Colorado and California in 2024.
Vermont overwhelmingly voted to add an amendment to its constitution guaranteeing equal protection under the law "race, ethnicity, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or national origin."
A number of states considered measures restricting transgender kids' access to school sports teams and gender-affirming care, with Colorado passing both. A Washington state measure to ban trans students from competing in girls' school sports was still leading on Wednesday.
Arizona passed a proposal requiring schools and athletic associations to restrict students, athletes and employees from using facilities — including restrooms, locker rooms, and other private spaces — that are not designated for their sex assigned at birth. Arizona law already bans trans girls from playing on school sports teams designated for girls, and this measure would extend that prohibition to recreational organizations like Little League.
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Taxes and state spending up for debate
One of the most high-profile ballot measures asked Floridians to weigh cutting property taxes for homeowners, which critics say would take billions of dollars in local government revenue away from much-needed public services like food banks, libraries, transportation and infrastructure. Voters overwhelmingly passed the amendment.
In California, voters pondered whether to approve a one-off 5% tax on individuals with more than $1 billion in assets, with most of the money raised going toward health care services. The fight against that ballot measure was one of the most expensive in the state's history. The contest is too close to call as of Wednesday afternoon.
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Tennessee voters approved a constitutional amendment prohibiting its government from levying a statewide property tax, which it has not collected since 1949. Arizona voters passed a measure that bans cities and towns from raising taxes on groceries until July 2027. North Carolinians approved an amendment to cap the maximum personal income tax at 3.5%.
Washington voters considered whether to repeal an income tax on individuals and households earning more than $1 million, which is scheduled to take effect in 2028. Early results indicate they want to keep that tax.
A polar-opposite pair of gun ballot measures
Massachusetts voted to keep a 2024 law tightening firearm regulations. The law made Massachusetts gun control measures among the strictest in the nation, as it also included requiring "ghost guns" to have a serial number, broadened the definition of "assault-style firearm" and expanded the state's red flag laws.
Meanwhile, in Idaho, a ballot measure asked voters for help choosing the official state gun from six different brands and models. The Winchester Model 1873 — aka the "Gun that Won the West" — leads in the polls as of Wednesday, though the state legislature would need to pass a separate law to make the winner official.
The ballot initiatives about data centers
At least 38 jurisdictions voted on the sprawling facilities needed to power AI, and Tuesday revealed how many voters dislike them. Jurisdictions in California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin voted to restrict data centers.
Of these, at least 12 localities voted to restrict the size of data centers, while six others voted to halt development and ban construction of all facilities, according to Data Centers on the Ballot.
The one community that supported data centers is in Harwood, North Dakota, where 75% of voters did not want to place restrictions on industrial projects, including data centers.
Ohio, one of the frontline states on the issue, had 21 ballot measures mentioning data centers. Voters there moved to restrict the AI facilities: Trenton, Ohio voted to ban data centers over 25 megawatts, while Hubbard moved to ban construction of data centers of any size, including converting existing buildings. Ohio voters also rejected rezoning areas from rural residential to light industrial for data center usage.
Candidates spent up to $40 million on ads about data centers this election cycle. They were a contentious issue in many statewide elections, as 77% of Americans say they are concerned about data centers raising electricity costs, according to a June Reuters/Ipsos poll. The poll also showed two-thirds of Democrats and half of Republicans said they'd oppose a data center in their community.
Other honorable mentions
Alabama voters passed ballot measures requiring local school boards to adopt policies directing public K-12 schools to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and, separately, play or perform the first stanza of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at least once a week during school hours.
In Arizona, voters passed a measure banning the state from installing and using photo enforcement systems (like speed and red-light cameras) to catch people who violate certain traffic ordinances.
Residents of Washington, D.C. had just one ballot initiative to consider: banning the controversial duck or goose liver dish known as foie gras. The debate went viral in recent days, prompting a slew of Halloween costumes, a four-course restaurant tasting menu and public appearances by a real duck named Olivia. D.C. voted overwhelmingly to prohibit the force-feeding of birds to enlarge their livers, and the sale of the delicacy itself. Across the country, voters in Denver approved a similar measure.
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