North Carolina voters approved all three constitutional amendments on Tuesday’s ballot, delivering victories on property taxes, state income taxes, and photo ID requirements. Each proposal received support from at least 60% of voters, as reported by NC Newsline.

The property tax amendment authorizes state lawmakers to limit the power of local governments to increase property taxes by creating a levy limit. The Republican backed measure passed with 60% voting in favor and 40% opposed.

Supporters predicted that voters burdened by local property tax increases would embrace the proposal. Republican lawmakers presented the amendment as a response to property taxes they described as excessively high, with particular concern for seniors carrying heavy tax costs.

“Families are getting ripped off as some, but by no means all, local governments rake in billions more than inflation and population growth warrant,” state House Speaker Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, said in the spring.

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The amendment does not establish the size or structure of the levy limit. Lawmakers will be responsible for determining those details later, likely in 2027, after voters granted them the constitutional authority to act.

Local government officials, progressive advocacy groups, and Democratic lawmakers opposed the measure. They argued that state lawmakers already possess the authority to limit local property tax collections without adding language to the state constitution.

Opponents also warned that restrictions on local tax revenue could force governments to reduce services. Local property taxes help fund public safety, education, and public health, according to those raising concerns about the amendment.

The state income tax amendment earned an even larger margin, with 62% voting in favor and 38% against. It establishes a maximum state income tax rate of 3.5% for both personal and corporate income taxes.

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North Carolina’s personal income tax rate currently stands at 3.99% and is scheduled to decline to 3.49% in 2027. The amendment prevents the rate from later being increased above 3.5%.

Supporters of the Republican backed proposal argued that higher state income taxes make North Carolina less competitive when seeking to attract businesses and jobs. Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell, pointed to neighboring Tennessee, which does not impose a personal income tax.

Critics countered that the legislature could lower income tax rates without placing the policy in the state constitution. House Democratic leader Robert Reives of Chatham County argued that residents would still face other forms of taxation.

“You’re still getting taxed,” Reives said in May. “It’s just not coming through personal income tax.”

Voters also approved the photo ID amendment by a 60% to 40% margin. The measure places the photo ID requirement for all voters in the state constitution, rather than limiting the constitutional language to people voting in person.

State law already requires voters to show identification when casting ballots in person and by mail. Before the amendment, however, the photo requirement for voters using mail ballots was not written into the constitution.

By adding that requirement to the Constitution, voters made it more difficult for future legislators to overturn it. Supporters argued that the amendment creates a single standard for voters, adds an identity safeguard, and permits lawmakers to enact laws that may include exceptions.

Critics maintained that the amendment was unnecessary because state law already requires photo ID for mail ballots. They also argued that making the requirement constitutional could further restrict ballot access.

“Really, what this is an effort to make more permanent a commitment to limiting access to the ballot for eligible voters,” Alexander Sirota, executive director of the N.C. Budget and Tax Center, told NC Newsline.

Despite objections from Democratic lawmakers, progressive organizations, and local government officials, voters approved every constitutional question placed before them. The results give lawmakers new authority over local property tax limits while locking income tax and voter identification policies into the state constitution.

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