This November, in addition to deciding races for U.S. Senate, Congress, and the General Assembly - among others - voters will determine the fate of three proposed amendments to the North Carolina Constitution.
The ballot measures involve a broader mandate for voter ID, capping the state income tax, and limiting property taxes. Notably, the referenda will appear on the back of the ballot for many voters.
Here's what they are, what they would do, and what some supporters and opponents say.
Expanding the voter ID requirement
How it will appear on your ballot: "Constitutional amendment to require all voters, not just those presenting to vote in person, to present photo identification before voting."
What it will do, if passed: This amendment would alter the language of the current voter ID law to require absentee mail-in ballot voters to present photo identification - as in-person voters do. Here's a list of acceptable identification.
Although North Carolina already has a voter ID requirement, if this amendment passes, it would establish the law in the state constitution. Lawmakers voted to approve the amendment in December 2024. Because it was passed just a month after a statewide election, it now appears on this year's ballot.
The state has gone through several iterations of voter ID laws since it was first introduced through a bill with sweeping procedural election changes in 2013. That law was struck down after a federal court declared it unconstitutional. In 2023, the legislature successfully implemented voter ID requirements with backing from the courts.
Who is for it, who is against it, and why: Support for the amendment falls almost entirely along partisan lines. Rep. Mike Schietzelt, R-Wake, said that the law increases security, especially as mail-in ballot voting has increased after the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I think ... all of your election law policy is trying to strike a balance between ensuring that every person who is eligible to vote has an opportunity to vote while also limiting opportunities for other people to interfere in the election," Schietzelt told WUNC News. "You're trying to balance security with access." Democrats haven't been as supportive of the bill, raising concerns that it may create unnecessary obstacles to vote, especially among Black voters.
Rep. Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford, said that she suspects that the amendment was included to motivate more conservative voters to the polls, in a year where Democrats are hoping to break the Republican supermajority in the state legislature.
"I just think it adds a hurdle that's unnecessary and (is) meant to address what is perceived to be voter security issues when there really is no problem with folks not having that (security) for absentee ballots," Harrison told WUNC News. "I think the constitution should be protected and not filled in with get-out-the vote efforts … and it's difficult to undo it once it's in the constitution. I think you can’t anticipate all changes in the future."
Capping the state income tax
How it will appear on your ballot: "Constitutional amendment to keep the State income tax rate from being raised higher than three and one-half percent (3.5%)."
What it will do, if passed: Income tax revenue is a major source of the overall state budget and pays for expenditures like teacher salaries, state infrastructure projects, state universities and social services.
A provision in the latest budget that passed in July has already scheduled the income tax rate to drop from 3.99% to 3.49% in 2027 until 2029. But this amendment would permanently cap the rate.
Who is for it, who is against it, and why: Many Democrats worry that the cap could limit the money they have to fund the government in the future and could burden future legislators who may desire to make changes to the tax rate.
"Sure it's great to lower taxes, but you're also going to stop services, you're going to slow services down, you're going to squeeze people dry. We will not be doing our essential functions as government to help the people of North Carolina," Rep. Marcia Morey, D-Durham, said before a vote. "It sounds great. It sounds too good to be true, but the consequences are irreparable."
Many Republican lawmakers argue that lower taxes mean more money in people's pockets, which leads to more economic activity for all. They also point to recent teacher raises and the state’s success in attracting businesses as evidence that the state can afford a lower income tax rate.
"We’ve made a commitment to the voters, to the citizens of North Carolina, to reduce the tax burden on them," Sen. Michael Lee, R-Hanover, said earlier this year. "And this is one way that we can do it."
Limiting property tax increases
How it will appear on your ballot: "Constitutional amendment requiring limits on property tax increases by local governments."
What it will do, if passed: There is no state property tax in North Carolina. Instead, local governments set property tax rates and collect funds to provide services like waste management, public safety, K-12 school facilities, teacher salary supplements, and recreation. This constitutional amendment would give the state legislature the power to set a limit on the ability of local governments to increase property taxes by creating a levy limit.
Local governments often adjust their property tax levy in accordance to how much money they need to fund government services, which can change depending on factors like population growth. If this constitutional amendment passes, the state legislature would set the levy limit, which could lead to some local governments falling short in funding to maintain the services if it is set too low.
Importantly, the ballot measure does not set a limit; it empowers the legislature to make that determination later. The lawmakers in the House Select Committee on Property Tax Reduction and Reform spent months discussing tax improvements this session. But lawmakers say they did not discuss a framework for establishing a property tax levy limit. In September, Senate leader Phil Berger announced that 20 lawmakers will explore considerations in the new Senate Select Committee on Property Tax Reform Committee.
Who is for it, who is against it, and why: Rep. Brian Echevarria, a Republican from Cabarrus County and primary sponsor of the bill, said that North Carolinians deserve a chance to reform the property tax system.
"There is tax revenue connected to every address in our state. But to me, the most important thing about those addresses is that whether owned or rented, they involve families who need stability and affordability," Echevarria said during a May House session. "The (property tax) increases have not only been high, but some would say extreme. And now the people on whom our strong economy was built need our help."
Many Democrats worry that the legislature may set a limit that could stifle tax revenue growth for some local governments and hurt their abilities to provide services. Rep. Maria Cervania, a Democrat from Wake County and former Wake County Commissioner, said that although property taxes have become "debilitating," the amendment risks creating a "one-size-fits-all" solution.
"Bertie County is not Mecklenburg County. And for us to set one limit at the state for counties and municipalities that don’t look anything alike, that can be quite dangerous honestly," Cervania told WUNC News.
How did we get these constitutional amendments?
To amend the North Carolina constitution, lawmakers must put amendments before voters — or take the less convenient route of calling a constitutional convention. Once a lawmaker proposes a constitutional amendment bill, it must pass both the House and Senate with a three-fifths majority. If it clears that hurdle, it bypasses the governor’s desk, removing the chance for a veto, and goes straight to the next statewide ballot.
To check your voter registration and sample ballot, visit the State Board of Elections website.