State ballot initiatives include marijuana legalization, abortion rights and suffrage for felons

More than just the hopes of politicians are on the ballots. And those statewide reforms may influence national policy.

This issue includes marijuana legalization, abortion rights and suffrage for felons. The results will offer insights into voting moods and the driving forces Americans to the polls.

Here are some of the most consequential state measures in the country:

Legalization of recreational marijuana

State-level approval for marijuana has been growing in recent years. Colorado and Washington were able to get married in Oklahoma, approved medical marijuana in June and Vermont legalized recreational marijuana in July.

Now, seeking to continue the momentum, a number of similar measures are up for consideration.

Voters in Michigan and North Dakota were deciding on legalizing marijuana for recreational use, while Utah and Missouri were taking up medical marijuana.

In Michigan, the legalization of recreational marijuana, also known as Issue 1, supports the legalization of marijuana for people who are 21 and older and would have a 10 percent sale tax. If approved, it would make Michigan the first state in the Midwest to legalize the possession and use of recreational marijuana. The measure would also permit users to domestically grow up to 12 pot plants.

Jason Franson / The Canadian Press via AP

North Dakota is taking a different stance on its marijuana measure. The state would not only legalize pot for people over 21, but also automatically expunge criminal records of individuals with marijuana convictions. Unlike Michigan, the measure would not place a tax regulation on sales.

Voting rights for felons

In Florida, voters are weighing in on an amendment that might shift Florida's political climate. If approved, the initiative would have been awarded to the majority of those who have completed their sentences.

A constitution of the Florida constitution, with Jim Crow-era roots, prevents more than 1.5 million Floridians – a disproportionate number of which are black – from voting, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.

Florida is one of three states, along with Iowa and Kentucky, to permanently meet the convictions of voting, according to the Brennan Center.

Multi-award winning Grammy star pop Rihanna has backed the measure.

"VOTE YES on Amendment 4 to restore voting rights to people who have already paid their debt to society," Rihanna tweeted.

Judge Mark Walker in March. Judge Mark Walker in March. He ruled Florida 's system that requires felons wait five years to petition the governor and three elected Cabinet members for the right to vote "fatally flawed," according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Abortion on the nerd

With a conservative-leaning Supreme Court now in place after the addition of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, many abortion rights advocates are concerned about the impact of his confirmation Roe v. Wade.

According to a Pew poll, abortion is a pivotal concern for voters, with 61 percent of Democrats saying that abortion is very important to their vote this year.

At stake in several states is access and funding for abortions. Alabama, Oregon and West Virginia are deciding on the ballot measures that challenge Roe v. The decision was overturned.

Alabama voters are taking up a proposed constitutional amendment, which seeks to "recognize and support the sanctity of unborn life and the rights of unborn children, including the right to life."

The measure would rewrite the state's constitution, and effectively eliminate the right to a woman to obtain an abortion in Alabama, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

West Virginia and Oregon's ballot measures to prevent federal dollars from funding for those people covered by Medicaid and public insurance plans.

Ted S. Warren / AP

West Virginia's amendment would add to the state's constitution: "Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or the funding of abortion."

The initiative, if approved by voters in the Mountain State and if Roe v. Wade were overturned, could be made certain that the state's constitution would not allow abortions.

In Oregon, a measure on the ballot that would prohibit public funds from being spent on abortions, except when medically necessary or required by federal law.

An abortion would qualify as "medically necessary" if it was performed according to a woman's practice.

Democratic Oregon Gov. Kate Brown opposes the initiative, but through this measure, voters in Oregon would have the final say.

Healthcare at stake

Healthcare is a prominent theme in this midterm election. Voters in four conservative states, including Montana, Idaho, Nebraska and Utah, have the chance to expand Medicaid.

Medicaid is the main government-funded source of health insurance for low-income and disabled individuals. The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, guarantees that all patients are insured under Medicaid.

Currently, one out of six people are infected with Medicaid and there are 32 states that have already expanded Medicaid.

Tuesday's votes on Medicaid in the United States.

Erik McGregor / Pacific Press / LightRocket via Getty Images

A vote for the ballot measures would be necessary to provide medical care for the elderly. If the initiative is passed in each state, the expansion of Medicaid would insure an additional 325,000 individuals.

Patient care in Massachusetts

Massachusetts voters were also asked about patient care.

A certified question on the ballot would impose a limit on the number of patients who could be assigned to a shift. If a nurse were to violate the imposed ratio, the hospital would be fined $ 25,000.

The Massachusetts Nurses Association, which represents 20 percent of nurses in Massachusetts, implemented the initiative. The union argues it would improve the safety of nurses, patients and improve patient care.

The opposition suggests that the implementation of the rule would be reduced to a shorter period of time.