With all the results in, the other big story in last week’s momentous election, was the successful passing of the three marriage amendments on state ballots this year, which amended state constitutions in Arizona, California, and Florida and defined marriage as between a man and a woman.

In California, black voters came out in record numbers to support Barack Obama. They supported Proposition 8, California’s marriage amendment proposition, in large numbers as well.

According to the 2004 exit poll, approximately 700,000 blacks voted in that year’s presidential election, making up six percent of the electorate. In this most recent election, that percentage climbed to 10 percent, or just over one million voters. This would mean an additional 210,000 pro-Proposition 8 votes.

The measure passed by approximately 500,000 votes.

Deborah Mayes, a 50-something African American from Los Angeles, worked to get the measure passed. She and other members from her church, the Zoe Christian Fellowship, made phone calls and knocked on doors.

“I believe in traditional values. I prayed for it to pass,” Mayes told Pop + Politics.

Mayes is also a supporter of Barack Obama, and was thrilled when he got elected.

“I voted for Obama and I’m glad I did,” she said. “I was hoping America could forget all that’s happened in the past.”

She doesn’t see a contradiction between supporting Proposition 8 and supporting Barack Obama. “I vote values,” Mayes said. “I have never voted straight ticket. I’m not gullible. I’m very value-based.”

In both Florida and Arizona, gay marriage was already against the law, but proponents of “traditional” marriage sought to amend their state constitutions to prevent the courts from declaring the laws unconstitutional.

Florida’s Proposition 2 was unexpected to succeed because it required 60 percent of the vote to pass—and it received 62 percent. Polls leading up to the election had the highest level of support at 55 percent, though some voters were still undecided.

In Arizona, even opponents of the measure weren’t too upset that it passed after Barack Obama was elected president. “I think the country was like, ‘Look, you get Obama, call it a day and go home,’ ” Kyrsten Sinema, a Democratic state representative who led opponents against Proposition 102, told the New York Times.

Before the election, we highlighted some key propositions in swing states to get a better idea of what might draw voters to the polls. The results of those elections are below.

Colorado
Ballot measure name: Amendment 48
It would: change the definition of “person” in the Colorado constitution to include any fertilized egg, embryo or fetus.
Pass or fail? Amendment 48 failed with 73 percent of voters rejecting it.
Key quote: “We knew when Coloradans understood the far-reaching consequences of the amendment, they’d vote no,” Fofi Mendez, the No on 48 campaign manager, told the Rocky Mountain News. The amendment fractured Colorado’s pro-life community, with some prominent groups supporting the measure and others opposing it.

Missouri
Ballot measure name: Constitutional Amendment 1
It would: amend the state constitution to make English the official language at all governmental meetings where policy is discussed or decided.
Pass or fail? Constitutional Amendment 1 passed with 86.3 percent of voters supporting it.

Montana
Ballot measure name: Initiative 155
It would: extend state-funded health insurance to uninsured children.
Pass or fail? Initiative 155 passed with 70 percent of voters supporting it.
Key quote: “Here is an opportunity for Montanans to rally for the expansion of health care coverage for our state’s children. Montana has one of the highest rates of uninsured children in the nation, and we know that kids without insurance are less likely to get care for common conditions, and especially dental work.” Mike Downing of RiverStone Health told the Billings Gazette. Supporters of the measure were concerned new voters would ignore down-ticket items, but I-155 passed easily.

Nevada
Ballot measure name: Question 2—People’s Initiative to Stop the Taking of our Land (or PISTOL)
It would: require land taken by the government under eminent domain laws be valued at its “highest and best use.”
Pass or fail? Question 2 passed with 61 percent of voters supporting it.

North Dakota
Ballot measure name: Measure 2—the Income Tax Cut Initiative
It would: lower taxes for corporations by 15 percent and taxes for individuals by 50 percent.
Pass or Fail? Measure 2 failed with only 30.2 percent of voters supporting it.
Key quote: “If they don’t understand the implications of the language, more often than not they’ll err on the side of caution and vote no,” University of North Dakota political science professor Dana Harsell told the Bismark Tribune. According to Harsell, many voters were undecided going into the voting booth.

Ohio
Ballot measure name: Issue 5
It would: cap the interest rate of payday loans at 28 percent. The current cap is 391 percent.
Pass or fail? Issue 5 passed with 63 percent of voters supporting it.
Key quote: “Ohio voters stripped payday lenders of their permit to fleece working people,” Yes on 5 treasurer Bill Faith told the Ohio State Lantern.

Pennsylvania
The only ballot measure is a bond measure to raise $400 million to make water and sewer improvements.
Pass or fail? The sewer bond question passed with 62 percent of voters supporting it.