Associated Press: Many Red State Voters Embrace Liberal-Backed Ballot Measures

Even in deep-red states, voters embraced an array of liberal-backed ballot measures in Tuesday’s election — expanding Medicaid, targeting gerrymandering, boosting minimum wages, legalizing marijuana use.

The results heartened left-of-center activists, who see a path going forward for circumventing Republican-controlled legislatures. With the new Congress deeply split along partisan lines, the outcome ensured that the states will serve as pivotal battlegrounds for social issues heading toward the next election in 2020.

One of the strongest messages emerging from the results is that voters are eager to make the political process, including voting itself, fairer and more accessible.

Michigan, Missouri and Colorado approved changes in redistricting policy aimed at reducing partisan gerrymandering through the use of independent map-drawers. A similar measure in Utah was leading in partial returns.

Voters in Michigan, Maryland and Nevada supported measures calling for automatic or same-day voter registration. Several states approved new oversight of politicians’ ethics. And in Florida, there was decisive approval of a measure that will enable an estimated 1.4 million people with prior felony convictions to regain their voting rights.

“We see strong support for these initiatives from independents, Democrats and Republicans,” said Karen Hobert Flynn, president of Common Cause. “The question is whether incumbent officials will wake up to understand that people really do want democracy and that power belongs to the people.”