The big news coming out of Tuesday’s elections was Democrats taking control of both houses of Congress . But you already know why that’s important. Instead, this column will focus on some issues races that matter more than you think. They may be in different states, but each of these ballot measures will have some impact on your life.

South Dakota rejects abortion ban. With a conservative Supreme Court and a liberal Congress, abortion will likely be a huge social battle in the coming years. South Dakota got everything started with a measure that would have banned all abortions unless the woman’s life was at stake. The measure started as a law that was never put into effect, with hopes that it would prompt a lawsuit bringing the issue back up to the Supreme Court. Instead, opponents collected signatures and got the ban put onto the November ballot. The measure was then defeated.

The ban was extremely divisive, especially because it didn’t allow exceptions for rape or incest. It attracted national attention because of its extremity and the expectation that, if enacted, it would start the trail up to the Supreme Court. You can expect more pro-abortion campaigns to take a similar approach. Several states have “trigger measures” on the books that would go into effect immediately if Roe v. Wade were overturned, and many others have plans to enact abortion bans. Odds are, your state will soon be debating abortion bans and it may become a state-by-state issue before the Supreme Court has an opportunity to rule on it.

Michigan bans affirmative action. The University of Michigan was the site of the last big affirmative action fight, so it’s no big surprise that Michigan has taken the national spotlight again in banning affirmative action. The state approved a ballot measure preventing hiring and admissions based on race and gender in public education, employment or contracting. It is now the target of a lawsuit.

This vote runs counter to the Supreme Court’s ruling, which upheld affirmative action in university admissions. This sets up a potential battle between Michigan and the federal government, who will no doubt want to weigh in on the major issue. A ban on affirmative action would result in less diverse and more competitive workplaces. This is a double-edged sword: on the one hand, it means qualified people get the job over other candidates, but on the other it puts less-privileged minorities at a disadvantage. The fight over affirmative action will undoubtedly shape how we seek employment coming out of college.

Seven states ban gay marriage. This is the social issue that is sure to define this generation. After some Congressmen scuttled President Bush’s attempt for a Constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, several states put similar amendments on their ballots. All but one (Arizona) of the measures passed. However, besides preventing gay marriage, some amendments (such as the one in Wisconsin) also prevent civil unions. In short, it means that couples living together out of marriage will not be able to get the same rights as married couples.

This will likely set up a similar scenario to the affirmative action ban, where gay marriage becomes a state-by-state issue until a Supreme Court case settles everything. However, with Democrats in Congress and the potential for more Supreme Court seats to open up, the current conservative tilt could change before the case reaches the high court. However, these bans are likely to be extremely divisive and could even lead to gays leaving certain states en masse. The social makeup of the country could shift. These bans are just the start of what promises to be a long and difficult fight.