RALEIGH – North Carolina voters will decide three proposed constitutional amendments Nov. 3 covering voter identification, the state income-tax ceiling and limits on local property-tax increases.
The State Board of Elections’ statewide referendum list, dated Sept. 2, shows all three questions will appear on the general-election ballot. Each proposal would change the North Carolina Constitution if a majority of voters approve it.
The first amendment would require all voters, not only people voting in person, to present photo identification before voting. WUNC reports that the change would extend the constitutional requirement to absentee-by-mail voters. The General Assembly placed the proposal on the ballot through Senate Bill 921, which became Session Law 2024-58.
The second amendment would prevent the state income-tax rate from being raised above 3.5%. The ballot question sets a constitutional ceiling, not the tax rate for every year. WUNC reports that state law already schedules the rate to fall to 3.49% in 2027; the amendment would limit the rate future lawmakers could authorize.
The third amendment would require limits on property-tax increases by local governments. It does not establish a numerical cap. Instead, it would give the General Assembly authority to create a property-tax levy limit later. Counties and municipalities use property-tax revenue for services including public safety, school facilities, waste management and recreation.
Supporters of the proposals argue that broader voter identification could improve election security and that constitutional tax limits could protect residents from higher taxes. Opponents argue that the voter-ID expansion could create additional barriers and that tax limits could reduce state and local governments’ flexibility to fund services. The ballot language itself does not resolve those policy disputes.
Under North Carolina’s amendment process, a proposal must win three-fifths support in both legislative chambers before it goes to voters. The governor does not approve or veto a proposed constitutional amendment. Voter approval is the final step.
WUNC notes that the referendum questions will appear on the back of the ballot for many voters. The State Board of Elections provides sample ballots through its voter-search tools so voters can review the wording before Election Day.
Sources
- WUNC: Explainer on the 2026 constitutional amendments
- North Carolina State Board of Elections: Statewide referendum choices
Photo Credit: Warren LeMay via Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 public-domain dedication. North Carolina State Capitol in Raleigh, photographed July 29, 2017. Adapted by cropping and adding the unchanged NC Political News footer and logo. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:North_Carolina_State_Capitol,_Raleigh,_NC_(28221598188).jpg. License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
Editor’s Note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.