The battle for control of Congress got the lion's share of the attention on Tuesday, but there were a lot of other consequential measures on the ballots that could have a direct impact on voters' lives.
Ballot measures often don't receive much national focus, but every two years, voters across the country decide whether to adopt policies that have major implications for their states. This year was no different.
There were more than 140 measures on the ballot across 40 states. Many touched on some of the biggest issues in U.S. politics, including abortion, transgender rights, voting and the democratic process itself.
Ballot measures can give the people a way to directly alter the laws in their states instead of relying solely on their elected representatives to create policy on their behalf. In some cases, they provide an opportunity for voters to endorse or reject something their state legislature wants to do. In others, regular citizens can get their preferred policy on the ballot directly through a signature-gathering campaign.
Here's a rundown of the results of some of the major measures on statewide ballots this year.

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