Story highlights Voters in Colorado resoundingly supported taxing marijuana on Tuesday 
 
 Voters in 6 states will consider 31 ballot measures Tuesday 
 
 Voters in 11 Colorado counties are considering the question of secession 
 
 New Jersey voters are being asked to raise their state's minimum wage to $8.25 per hour 
 
 Last year, voters in Colorado approved legalizing recreational marijuana, and on Tuesday night, they resoundingly supported taxing it. 
 
 With nearly all votes counted, 65% supported the new tax, while 35% opposed it. The measure would impose a special 15% excise tax on marijuana to help fund school construction, along with a 10% sales tax to bolster marijuana-related law enforcement efforts. 
 
 The passage was widely expected, despite opponents arguing it's unfair to single out marijuana for higher taxation than products such as beer. 
 
 Strong support for the measure is pegged largely to the money it is expected to bring in. The nonpartisan Colorado Legislative Council projects that the measure will generate nearly $70 million in additional state tax revenue next year. 
 
 There were 30 other measures on the ballot in six states Tuesday, all of which were too early to call for CNN. Here are highlights from a few: 
 
 Colorado: secession 
 
 Voters in 11 counties in northern Colorado are being asked if they want to secede from the state. Ten counties in conservative, rural northeastern Colorado would theoretically form a 51st state known as North Colorado. Moffat County, located in the northwest corner of the state, would become a panhandle for neighboring Wyoming. 
 
 JUST WATCHED Colorado conservatives want to secede Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Colorado conservatives want to secede 02:44 
 
 The plan has no chance of becoming reality. Among other things, it would also require statewide and congressional approval. But approval or even a close vote at the county level would send a loud message of growing grassroots conservative anger toward a more liberal Denver-based Democratic establishment that has taken up controversial measures related to gun control, gay rights and green energy. 
 
 With more than 50,000 votes counted in Weld County, the most populated county of those trying to secede, 58% of votes were against secession and 42% were in favor of it. CNN, however, does not yet have a projection on this measure. 
 
 Similar secession measures have been floated in a number of other states in recent years in a reflection of the country's growing ideological and partisan divide. 
 
 Washington: Labeling genetically modified food 
 
 Voters in Washington state are considering a hotly contested initiative that would require labeling all foods containing genetically modified ingredients. The measure pits local consumer advocates, who argue that the measure is needed for consumers to make better informed choices, against large agribusinesses such as Monsanto, which argue that such a law would spook potential customers and unfairly imply that such products are unsafe. 
 
 Washington is the second state to consider such a ballot measure. A similar proposal was narrowly rejected by California voters last year. 
 
 With more than 800,000 votes counted, 53% of Washington State voters opposed the labeling, while 47% supported it. It is still, however, too early for CNN to call this race. 
 
 According to the nonpartisan National Conference of State Legislatures, 95 bills relating to the issue have been introduced in various legislatures so far this year -- a reflection of growing public interest in the controversy surrounding genetically modified foods. 
 
 Other noteworthy measures 
 
 Voters in New Jersey are considering whether to amend their constitution to raise the state minimum wage from the federal level of $7.25 to $8.25 per hour. Future annual increases would be tied to changes in the cost of living. Eighteen states have a minimum wage that exceeds the federal requirement, according to the NCSL. 
 
 New York voters are being asked to revise their constitution to allow the legislature in Albany to authorize seven casinos, with the goal of generating new revenue for public schools and potentially cutting property taxes. ||||| Voters across the country faced ballot measures Tuesday ranging from whether to approve seven casinos in New York to the fate of Houston's iconic Astrodome. Here's a look at some of the questions. 
 
 Brian Vicente, chairman of the Yes on Prop. AA campaign, right, and campaign staffer Christie Nima, look at vote returns on a laptop during an election party for those in favor of Proposition AA, to impose... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE- In this May 21, 2012 file photo, the Astrodome sits gathering dust and items for storage in Houston. A coalition of local and national preservation groups is taking its efforts to save the iconic... (Associated Press) 
 
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 MARIJUANA AND ALCOHOL 
 
 COLORADO: Voters approved a 25 percent tax on newly legal recreational marijuana to fund school construction. Opponents argued the tax rate would benefit black market sales. 
 
 MAINE: Voters in Portland, Maine's largest city, declared victory on a measure to legalize possession of recreational amounts of marijuana. 
 
 MICHIGAN: Voters in Ferndale, Jackson and Lansing approved proposals offering some legal protection to users of small amounts of marijuana. 
 
 UTAH: Residents in the small town of Hyde Park are voting on whether to allow beer sales in a proposal that has divided the conservative, mostly Mormon city. Hyde Park is among a handful of dry cities left in the state, and the ordinance would only allow the sale of beer with the alcohol content of 3.2 percent. 
 
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 SECESSION 
 
 COLORADO: Voters in 11 largely rural counties are deciding on a mostly symbolic effort to form a 51st state called North Colorado because of what supporters call a disconnect with urban areas. The Legislature and Congress would have to approve the creation of a new state, something considered unlikely. As of around midnight, at least six of the counties had voted against the proposal. 
 
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 GAMBLING 
 
 NEW YORK: New York voters bet big on casino gambling as an economic energy shot, agreeing to let seven Las Vegas-style gaming palaces be built around the state, including eventually in New York City. 
 
 MASSACHUSETTS: Voters in Palmer rejected Mohegan Sun's plan for a $1 billion resort casino and entertainment complex. And Suffolk Downs says it will reassess plans to build a resort casino at the 78-year-old thoroughbred race track after voters in a Boston neighborhood rejected its proposal and residents of a neighboring community approved it. 
 
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 ASTRODOME'S FUTURE 
 
 TEXAS: Voters rejected a plan to authorize bonds to turn the Houston Astrodome, the world's first multipurpose domed stadium, into a giant convention and event center and exhibition space. The outcome means the stadium is likely to be torn down. 
 
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 MINIMUM WAGE 
 
 WASHINGTON STATE: Voters in the small Seattle suburb of SeaTac are deciding whether workers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and nearby large hotels should be paid a $15-an-hour minimum wage and obtain a handful of sick days. Washington state already has the highest minimum wage at $9.19. 
 
 NEW JERSEY: Voters approved a constitutional amendment raising the state's minimum wage by $1, to $8.25 an hour, and to provide for automatic cost-of-living increases, as 10 other states already do. 
 
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 HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT 
 
 MAINE: Residents of South Portland rejected a proposal aimed at blocking the flow of tar sands oil from western Canada to the city. Environmentalists say the thick, gooey oil is more difficult to clean up than conventional crude oil, contains harmful chemicals and releases more greenhouse gases. Supporters of a pipeline say a ban would hamper the growth of existing petroleum-based businesses. 
 
 WASHINGTON STATE: A measure that would require mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods was failing in early returns. Washington would be the first state to put such requirements in place, and the campaign has shaped up to be one of the costliest in state history. 
 
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 GAY RIGHTS 
 
 MICHIGAN: Residents of the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak approved an ordinance making it illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation and a number of other factors. 
 
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 SCHOOL FUNDING 
 
 COLORADO: A kindergarten-through-12th-grade school-finance overhaul was rejected; it would have increased income taxes about $1 billion a year and revived a progressive income tax structure abandoned in the 1980s. ||||| NEW YORK (AP) — Voters in Oregon and the District of Columbia approved ballot measures Tuesday allowing the recreational use of marijuana by adults, elating legalization activists who hope to extend their winning streak across the country. 
 
 FILE - In this Sept. 11, 2014 file photo, a sample of marijuana is shown inside the dispensary at Collective Awakenings on in Portland, Ore. Advocates for legalizing recreational pot have been aggressively... (Associated Press) 
 
 Oregon will join the company of Colorado and Washington state, where voters approved the recreational use of pot two years ago. And the District of Columbia is on the same path unless Congress, which has review power, blocks the move. 
 
 Still to come were results from Alaska, which also had a marijuana-legalization measure on its ballot Tuesday. 
 
 Other volatile issues on state ballots include gambling and abortion. Voters in Washington state, faced with two competing measures on gun sales, approved an expansion of background checks. 
 
 The District of Columbia's marijuana measure would make it legal to possess up to two ounces of pot and up to three mature marijuana plants for personal use, but it does not provide for the legal sale of marijuana, leaving that matter up to the D.C. Council. That's different from the measures in Oregon and Alaska, which would follow the example of Colorado and Washington state in setting up systems for regulating and taxing retail sales of marijuana. 
 
 The Drug Policy Alliance, one of the leaders of the legalization campaign, said Tuesday's results would bolster its efforts to push through a ballot measure in California in 2016 
 
 "The pace of reform is accelerating, other states are sure to follow, and even Congress is poised to wake from its slumber," said Ethan Nadelmann, the alliance's executive director. 
 
 Oregon's measure calls for pot legalization by July 1, and requires the state Liquor Control Commission to adopt regulations by Jan. 1, 2016. 
 
 Oregon sheriffs were among the law's chief opponents, contending that legalization would give children access to marijuana and could lead to more people driving under the influence. 
 
 The campaign in D.C. included a debate about race — the measure's supporters said blacks in the city had been disproportionately targeted for marijuana arrests. 
 
 Gary Fulwood, a support staffer for the city's fire and EMS department, voted for the initiative. 
 
 "The criminal justice system is getting bogged down by marijuana use, and a lot of the people who use marijuana aren't criminals," Fulwood said. "I don't see it being any worse than alcohol." 
 
 In Florida, a measure that would have allowed marijuana use for medical reasons fell short of the 60 percent approval to pass; near-complete returns showed it getting about 57 percent of the vote. Twenty-three states allow medical marijuana. 
 
 Some of the other questions before voters Tuesday: 
 
 ABORTION 
 
 In Colorado and North Dakota, voters rejected measures that opponents feared could lead to bans on abortion. 
 
 The Colorado proposal would have added "unborn human beings" to the state's criminal code. It was the third measure on Colorado ballots in recent years seeking to grant "personhood" to the unborn. 
 
 North Dakota voters rejected an amendment that would have declared in the state constitution "the inalienable right to life of every human being at every stage of development must be recognized and protected." 
 
 In Tennessee, voters approved a measure that will give state legislators more power to regulate abortion. Opponents fear it will lead to tough new laws that would jeopardize women's access to abortions. 
 
 GAMBLING SHOWDOWN 
 
 In Massachusetts, voters passed up a chance to say "No" to casinos. They rejected a measure that would have repealed a 2011 law authorizing development of a slots parlor and up to three resort casinos. There are none in the state now, but casino plans have been approved for three cities across the state. 
 
 A victory for the anti-casino forces would have marked the first time — at least since the modern era of U.S. gambling began in 1931 — that a state reversed a major legislative decision to expand gambling. 
 
 MINIMUM WAGE 
 
 Voters in three states approved increases in the state minimum wage. In Arkansas, it will rise from $6.25 an hour to $8.50 by 2017, in Nebraska from $7.25 to $9, and in South Dakota from $7.25 to $8.50. Alaskans also were voting on a minimum wage increase. 
 
 GUN SALES 
 
 In Washington state, voters approved a measure to expand background checks on gun sales and transfers; the checks will extended to private transactions and many loans and gifts. The rival measure would have prevented the state from expanding checks in that fashion; it was trailing statewide. 
 
 Like federal law, Washington law currently requires checks for sales or transfers by licensed dealers but not for purchases from private sellers, like those who sell at gun shows or to friends. 
 
 SICK TIME 
 
 Massachusetts voters approved a measure that supporters say will establish the nation's strongest requirement for providing paid sick time to workers. Workers will be able to accrue up to 40 hours of paid sick time in a given year, earning one hour for every 30 hours worked. Companies with 10 or fewer employees would be exempt. 
 
 CRIME 
 
 California voters approved a ballot initiative that will reduce penalties for low-level drug and property crimes. Shoplifting, forgery, fraud and petty theft are among the crimes that will be treated as misdemeanors rather than felonies. Misdemeanors carry a maximum penalty of less than a year in custody. The measure is expected to save hundreds of millions of dollars in prison costs each year, with the savings diverted to school programs, victims' services, and mental health and drug treatment. 
 
 TEACHERS TAKE STANDS 
 
 In Missouri, voters defeated a measure — bitterly opposed by teachers' unions — that would have tied teachers' jobs and salaries to the performance of their students. 
 
 Teachers unions were supporting an initiative in Washington state that would reduce class size and increase staffing support in grades K-12. State financial experts believe the measure would eventually cost the state about $2 billion a year to pay for thousands more teachers and other school staff. 
 
 FOOD FIGHT 
 
 Colorado voters rejected a measure that would have required labeling of certain genetically modified foods. The proposal would have applied to raw and packaged foods produced entirely or partially by genetic engineering, but not apply to food served in restaurants. 
 
 A similar measure was on the ballot in Oregon. 
 
 Opponents of the requirements — including food corporations and biotech firms — said mandatory labels would mislead consumers into thinking engineered ingredients are unsafe, which scientists have not proven. 
 
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 Associated Press writer Ben Nuckols in Washington contributed to this report.
– Could "North Colorado" soon become the 51st state? Voters in 11 northern Colorado counties will get to weigh in tomorrow on whether or not they'd like to secede from the state, CNN reports. Ten of the conservative-leaning counties would become North Colorado, while the other would become a panhandle for Wyoming. Of course, CNN thinks there's zero chance this actually happens, because the entire state and congress would have to vote to approve the move. But it still stands as one of the more intriguing ballot measures up for vote tomorrow. Others include: Colorado is also voting on whether or not to impose a 15% excise tax on now-legal marijuana sales, which would go to fund school construction, and an additional 10% sales tax to fund marijuana enforcement laws. Washington state has a measure that would require special labeling for genetically-modified food—a proposal that met with ardent opposition and eventual defeat in California last year. Sure enough, out-of-state opponents have poured money into this race as well, the Seattle Times reports; of the whopping $22 million raised in opposition, $550 has come from Washingtonians. New Jersey will consider a constitutional amendment to raise the state's minimum wage to $8.25 an hour. New Yorkers are considering whether or not to allow the construction of seven casinos, with the proceeds going towards education and/or cutting property taxes. New Jersey is also considering a gambling bill of sorts, the Star-Ledger reports, allowing veterans' groups to raise money via Bingo games, raffles, and similar games.