RALEIGH, N.C. — Every North Carolina ballot this fall ends with three proposed changes to the state constitution, and early voters who began casting ballots on Oct. 15 are already weighing in.
Each question appears with a simple choice of FOR or AGAINST. A constitutional amendment cannot be undone by a future General Assembly the way an ordinary law can; it needs legislative approval and then a vote of the people, which is why the wording matters.
Income tax cap. Session Law 2026-4 put the measure the legislature named Lower Taxes for All NC on the ballot. It would drop the highest income tax rate the constitution allows from 7% to 3.5%, starting Jan. 1, 2027. The individual rate under current law already sits below that ceiling, so the change would not cut anyone’s tax bill by itself. Its practical effect would be to block future lawmakers from going above 3.5% without another amendment.
Property tax limits. Session Law 2026-5 created the Property Tax Levy Limit amendment, which would order the General Assembly to cap how much counties and cities can raise property tax levies. The amendment sets no formula. The actual limits, and any exceptions, would come later through separate legislation.
Photo ID for all voters. Session Law 2024-58 placed this one on the ballot. The constitution already requires photo identification for in-person voting, and this change would extend that to every method of voting, including absentee by mail. State law already asks mail voters for ID or an exception form, so the amendment would mainly lock the broader rule into the constitution.
The nonpartisan Legislative Services Office adopted official summaries of all three on Aug. 20, and county boards of elections distribute them to voters. Among advocacy groups, the state chapter of the League of Women Voters has come out against all three proposals. Early voting continues through 3 p.m. on Oct. 31, and Election Day is Nov. 3.
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Filed under: Outer Banks NC Politics News
