You probably have heard by now that Barack Obama won the presidential election Tuesday night, defeating Republican challenger Mitt Romney and securing his seat in the Oval Office for four more years.
But there were a lot more decisions made at the polling booths Tuesday — and in the weeks before — that may not be on your radar, and they range from inspiring to downright quirky.
It was a good night for women in the Senate. The 113th edition of the smaller half of Congress will have 19 female members, the most ever. New Hampshire became the first state to have only women representing it in Congress.
Mazie Hirono, D-HI, made history after becoming the first Asian-American woman elected to the U.S. Senate — and the first female senator from Hawaii.
Hirono, who was born in Japan and is a Buddhist, has said she brings “quadruple diversity” to the Senate, according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. When she mentioned this at an event, she was asked, “Yes, but are you gay?” and responded, “Nobody’s perfect.”
That landmark, though, was reached by another woman when Tammy Baldwin, D-WI, became the first openly gay senator to be elected to the U.S. Senate.
She said she didn’t want to make history — and, in fact, rarely mentioned her sexual orientation while running — but rather ran “to make a difference,” according to CNN. She added that progress happens “when you have legislative bodies that look more like America.”
In Maryland, Maine and Washington, voters approved same-sex marriage — marking the first time the decision was made by popular vote rather than through state legislatures or courts.
And potheads in Colorado and Washington rejoiced Tuesday after their states legalized the recreational use of marijuana — that’s right, not medicinal marijuana, but just fun marijuana.
However, the Justice Department and Drug Enforcement Agency haven’t yet decided if they’ll back the initiatives, according to The Washington Post, so stoners may have to hold off on tucking a blunt behind their ear while leaving the house just yet.
One of the weirdest measures, though, came out of Southern California, where voters approved “Measure B,” which requires adult film producers to have a permit — and adult film actors to wear condoms to protect against sexually transmitted infections.
At least one actress didn’t approve of the voters’ emphasis of safety over sexiness, especially since the law calls for enforcement by random checks of porn sets by government officials.
“The idea of allowing a government employee to come and examine our genitalia while we’re on set is atrocious,” said Amber Lynn, an adult film actress, according to CBS.
The presidential race receives heavy emphasis on Election Day, but it’s not the only thing you can help decide by checking a box. The tail end of a ballot gives you a lot of interesting choices to make, depending on the state in which you’re voting — whether that’s sending more estrogen to Washington, D.C., or dictating the accessories you see on porn stars.
Rebecca McKinsey is the managing editor of The Post. Email her at rm279109@ohiou.edu.
