[ti:American Voters Decided More Than Just the Presidency] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]¸ü¶àÌýÁ¦Çë·ÃÎÊ51VOA.COM [00:00.04]On Election Day, American voters decided more than [00:04.24]who would go to the White House next year. [00:08.20]Voters in 35 states were asked to decide more than 150 policy questions, [00:15.24]such as legalizing use of the drug marijuana [00:18.80]and restrictions on gun ownership. [00:22.56]Voters in Arkansas, Florida, Montana and North Dakota [00:28.32]approved measures to permit marijuana use for medical purposes. [00:34.08]A majority of states now let patients use the drug for some medical conditions. [00:41.76]In California, Maine and Massachusetts, [00:46.28]people over 21 may now use marijuana even without a medical need. [00:52.96]But voters in Arizona rejected the legalization of recreational marijuana. [01:00.88]California voters approved a measure [01:03.60]to severely limit people's ability to buy ammunition for large guns. [01:10.24]In the state of Washington, [01:12.88]voters approved a plan to temporarily ban people [01:16.68]who show signs of mental problems or violence from possessing a gun. [01:22.68]In Nevada, voters passed a measure to expand investigations [01:27.88]into individuals taking part in nearly all private sales and exchanges of guns. [01:35.20]But a similar measure failed in Maine. [01:39.28]The federal government currently requires all American businesses [01:44.76]to pay workers at least $7.25 an hour. [01:50.84]Three states agreed to raise that rate to as much as $12 an hour by 2020. [01:58.80]In the state of Washington, voters approved a measure [02:02.60]to raise the minimum wage to $13.50 an hour, also by 2020. [02:10.04]But in South Dakota, voters lowered the minimum wage [02:14.60]for people under age 18 by about one dollar. [02:18.84]Californians rejected a measure to end the state's right [02:23.76]to use execution as a way to punish criminals. [02:29.08]In Nebraska, voters agreed to re-establish a court's right [02:33.92]to sentence some prisoners to death. [02:37.52]And in Oklahoma, residents approved a measure [02:41.56]to make it harder to cancel the death penalty. [02:45.80]California voters made it easier for schools [02:50.20]to teach in languages other than English. [02:54.20]And in Georgia, voters said the state [02:57.68]cannot take control of public schools that fail year after year. [03:04.72]In California, voters rejected a measure [03:08.16]that would require people in adult films [03:11.28]to wear condoms during sex scenes. [03:14.28]Coloradans voted on a measure related to adults [03:19.20]with a life-threatening health disorder. [03:22.20]Voters agreed to let such individuals [03:25.92]end their life with doctor-approved medication. [03:30.33]The measure will require three health experts [03:34.60]to confirm that natural death is near [03:38.08]and also confirm that the patients are making the decision for themselves. [03:44.04]Voters in the District of Columbia approved a measure [03:48.16]to make the U.S. capital the 51st state. [03:52.72]The decision has no immediate effect. [03:56.12]Instead, voters say they hope their opinion [04:00.12]puts pressure on the next government [04:02.56]to end D.C.'s lack of representation in Congress. [04:07.44]I'm Jonathan Evans.