Voters in four states—Arizona, Colorado, Maine, and Washington—said yes on Tuesday to ballot initiatives that will boost their state's minimum hourly wage, offering hope, advocates say, of an increased standard of living for roughly 2.1 million workers.

According to Jonathan Schleifer, executive director of The Fairness Project, the results "mark a new moment in American politics where voters will no longer wait for politicians—who have failed them time and time again—to fix our broken economy."

Calling the results a "resounding win for economic equality," Schleifer, whose organization partnered with ballot initiative campaigns in the states, said the outcome "sends a strong message to all of Washington: If you're not working to create a fair economy, we'll do it ourselves."

In Arizona, with 60 percent choosing yes, voters easily passed Proposition 206, which will increase the minimum wage from $8.05 to $10 in 2017, and then incrementally to $12 by 2020.

It also mandates paid sick leave—40 hours a year for those at businesses with 15 or more employees; 24 hours annually for those with fewer with less than 15 employees.

Arizona Healthy Families, the organization behind Proposition 206, said on Twitter that it was "a major victory for Arizona working families."