ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Voters in Asheville and the rest of Buncombe County who head to early voting sites this week will find three proposed changes to the North Carolina Constitution at the bottom of the ballot, covering income taxes, voter identification and property taxes.
The first would set a ceiling of 3.5% on the state income tax rate. The rate is already scheduled to drop to 3.499% in 2027, so the cap would change little at first, but it would make it harder for future legislatures to raise the rate above that line.
The second would write the photo ID requirement North Carolina already enforces into the constitution, making clear that identification is required for every method of voting in the state.
The third would give the General Assembly more say over how cities and counties set and change property taxes. That one has drawn the sharpest debate: opponents warn it could squeeze local government budgets, while supporters argue lower taxes help residents.
Analysts describe all three as locking in policies that are largely in place today, with their biggest effect falling on what lawmakers can do later. Poll workers in Buncombe County say voters have been asking what the amendments mean, since the ballot wording can be hard to follow, and some voters have prepared by filling out a sample ballot ahead of time.
Each amendment is a separate yes-or-no choice and needs a simple majority to pass. The deadline to request an absentee ballot passed on Oct. 20, and in-person early voting is in its final stretch, with about a week and a half left as of midweek.
Section: More Asheville NC politics news
Filed under: Asheville NC Politics News
