Prop. 8 Backers Declare Victory; Foes Won't Concede

Backers of a gay marriage ban have declared victory after a tight race in California but opponents refuse to concede until all the ballots are counted, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. The Prop. 8 measure was one of several divisive social issues put to a vote yesterday. Measures that would have banned almost all abortions failed in Colorado and South Dakota.

Nebraska voted to outlaw race or sex-based affirmative action, while Washington became the second state in the nation to allow dying people the option of physician-assisted suicide. San Francisco's proposition to ban police from arresting prostitutes was rejected by a big margin. Massachusetts voted to decriminalize marijuana possession. Gay marriage bans passed in Florida and Arizona, but the California vote is expected to have the biggest impact.