Maine and Maryland approve same-sex marriage by popular vote

The president of the USA is still on the job today, but that isn't what I want to talk about. There are also lots of other votes going on during an election day in the USA, including electing the Senate, the House of Representatives and lastly various laws that need to be approved in state by state votes.

For example:

Maine and Maryland has approved same-sex marriage by popular vote.

Maine and Maryland have become the seventh and eighth states to allow same-sex couples to marry. Some states also allow "civil unions" but it just isn't the same as being "married".

In another gay-rights victory, Minnesota voters defeated a proposed constitutional amendment that would banned same-sex marriage in the state. So that isn't happening, thankfully, which basically means that gay marriage is still legal in Minnesota.

Washington state also voted on a measure to legalize same-sex marriage, though results were not expected until later today.

The outcomes of the marriage votes could influence the U.S. Supreme Court, which will soon consider whether to take up cases challenging the law that denies federal recognition to same-sex marriages, which means the USA could end up allowing same-sex marriages on a federal level (which it already de facto does, because people can just go and get married in a state which allows gay marriages, and that marriage will be recognized when it comes time to pay federal taxes).

Below is a map I found and modified to represent the new changes thanks to last night's historic votes.