(The Center Square) – All three constitutional amendments before North Carolina voters are favored by likely voters, says an Elon University Poll released Thursday.
Requiring photo identification for all forms of voting, including absentee mail-in ballots, drew a 63%-25% approval; changing the constitution to lower the allowable state personal income tax rate from 7% to 3.5% was favored 67%-18%; and allowing the General Assembly to limit increases in property taxes from local governments is favored 72%-14%.
The Elon University Poll research center worked with YouGov to sample 1,121 adults ages 18 and over, which was matched down to 800 for the final dataset. The margin of error is +/- 5.5%.
North Carolina voters in 2018 endorsed presenting photo identification when voting in person. Litigation, led in part by then-Gov. Roy Cooper, led to implementation delayed until the 2023 municipal races.
The amendment would make the April 2023 ruling by the state Supreme Court constitutional. The state’s highest bench said photocopies of photo IDs were to go in with ballots mailed, or completion of an ID Exception Form.
The state’s individual income tax is a flat rate of 3.99% and scheduled to continue dropping to 3.49% in 2027 and 2.99% in 2028. The amendment puts a cap of 3.5% starting in 2027.
The property tax amendment does not set a floor or cap; rather, it says lawmakers are to pass laws limiting how much local governments can increase total property tax revenue from year to year. It does set a “levy limit” capping growth in total dollars. Exceptions could be granted by the lawmakers.
In other policy questions, respondents 75%-11% were in favor of legalizing marijuana for medical purposes, and 55%-30% were in favor of legalized recreational use. Respondents 53%-28% supported legalization of hemp-derived products like seltzers and gummies with THC levels that can cause intoxication.
Content Original Link:
https://www.thecentersquare.com/north_carolina/article_56e8f475-a9e4-4405-8baf-f6d729482cbd.html?a