No to hash, yes to public campaign cash: Election Day in review

Liberals and conservatives woke up to big wins and disappointments on Wednesday morning, following a busy Election Day for local races and ballot initiatives. Here are the results for several key votes:

Ohio said “no thanks” to a oligopoly on legal marijuana cultivation

Buckeye State voters overwhelmingly defeated a proposal to defeat legal marijuana growth and use. Proponents of decriminalization joined with anti-drug crusaders because the legalization proposal would have granted an oligopoly on cultivation to a handful of wealthy landowners, something many pro-legalization activists considered unacceptable.

Seattle and Maine sign off on campaign finance reform

Seattle voters approved a proposal intended to make politicians rely more on their middle-class and lower-income constituents for political fundraising. The new campaign finance law provides every registered voter with “Democracy Vouchers,” which they turn into campaign cash for the candidates of their choice.

The people of Maine also voted Tuesday to bulk up their state’s public campaign finance rules.

A socialist may soon win a second term on Seattle’s city council

The official results are not yet in, but Kshama Sawant, the first socialist to hold citywide office in Seattle in at least a century, appears headed for reelection.

Houston votes down rules against LGBT discrimination

Houston has defeated legislation that would have banned discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Meanwhile, the city’s mayoral contest has been extended into a runoff between the two leading contenders.

Ohio attempts anti-gerrymandering reforms

Voters have signed off on major reforms to Ohio’s redistricting process, including measures intended to guarantee that no one party can dominate the process of drawing voting districts for the state legislature.

Airbnb wins big in San Francisco

After a hotly contested (and expensive) battle over the future of short-term rentals, San Francisco voters sided with Airbnb and other short-term rental platforms, defeating a proposal that would have limited the number of days per year that hosts could rent out their spaces.