North Carolina voters are expressing support for three constitutional amendments appearing on ballots this November, including requirements to show photo identification while voting and caps to income and property taxes, according to a new poll.

The three amendments were put on the ballot by the Republican-led North Carolina General Assembly. Democratic state lawmakers largely opposed the ideas, but the poll by Elon University, released Thursday, shows bipartisan support for all three amendments.

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The poll of 800 likely voters in August also found support for less regulation of marijuana in North Carolina, though that’s not among the three constitutional amendments before voters this fall.

The ballot language for each amendment is short, which can also affect how people respond to the amendments, according to Jason Husser, director of the Elon University Poll and professor of political science and public policy.

The poll found broad support for the amendments, which largely don’t appear to change anything currently happening, he said in a statement.

“In the case of the 2026 amendments, all three lock in current status quo rather than leading to immediate policy change, which decreases their potential for controversy in an election cycle currently focused on the politicians on the ballot,” Husser said.

Democrats have accused Republicans of putting the measures on the ballot merely to drive turnout during competitive midterm elections.

Mail-in voting has already begun for the general election. In-person early voting begins Oct. 15. Election Day is Nov. 3. North Carolina law requires a valid photo ID when voting already, and state Supreme Court precedent since 2023 requires a photocopy or completed ID Exception Form for absentee ballots.

Voter ID

A proposed constitutional amendment before voters this fall puts a photo ID requirement for all forms of voting into the state’s constitution, thereby preventing lawmakers from ever changing it.

  • Elon’s poll found that 63% of likely voters favored the amendment, compared to 25% who were opposed to it. Another 12% were unsure.

    Republican lawmakers and some advocacy groups have favored the requirement as an extra layer to prevent voter fraud, though those cases are rare. Opponents have said the extra requirement will surely not be met by some voters, preventing their votes from counting.

    Income tax

    Another proposed constitutional amendment would cap North Carolina’s personal income tax at 3.5%, lowering it from the current maximum of 7%. The state’s personal income tax hasn’t been close to 7% in several years since the legislature has steadily dropped it. Current law triggers continued decreases in personal income and corporate income taxes if certain revenue conditions are met. The amendment doesn’t affect corporate income taxes, which are set to eventually drop to 0%.

    The 2026 personal income tax rate is 3.99% for all income levels and is set to drop to 3.49% in 2027. 

    • The Elon poll found that 67% of likely voters favored the personal income tax amendment, compared to 18% who opposed it. Another 16% were unsure.

      Republican state lawmakers have spent years focused on lowering income tax rates, which they say benefit residents and companies. Opponents have said the cap will hamstring the state in the event of emergencies, such as a natural disaster or economic challenges.

      Personal income tax

      While personal income tax largely affects state government revenues, another constitutional amendment on property tax rates could affect local government revenues.

      A third proposed constitutional amendment would limit how many new dollars counties and municipalities can raise from annual property tax increases. But unlike the personal income tax measure, this one doesn’t include the limit in the ballot language. Instead, state lawmakers would decide what that limit should be after the election.

      • The Elon poll found that 72% of likely voters favored this amendment, compared to 14% who opposed it. Another 14% are unsure.

        Proponents, including Republican lawmakers, of the amendment have said it would protect residents in growing areas from too much sticker shock when their property is reassessed and their local governments’ effective tax rates also go up.

        Opponents — including some county and city leaders and Democratic lawmakers — have accused state lawmakers of underfunding state services, leading to a burden on local governments and that the property tax limits could prevent those local governments from filling in the gaps.

        Marijuana, hemp-derived products regulation

        Support for legalizing medical marijuana and for legalizing the recreational use of marijuana didn’t change much from a 2021 Elon poll on the topic.

        • This year, during the poll conducted in August, 75% of likely voters favored medical marijuana legalization, with only 11% opposed. In 2021, 73% of respondents favored legalizing medical use of marijuana.
          • A lower share — 55% — supported legalizing recreational use of marijuana, compared to 30% who opposed it and 15% who were unsure. In 2021, 54% of respondents favored legalizing recreational use of marijuana.
            • Support for both was much stronger among Democrats than among Republicans. Most, 57%, of Republicans supported legalizing medical marijauna, but just 33% of Republicans supported legalizing recreational use of marijuana.

              A 2024 WRAL News poll also found broad support for legalizing medical marijuana.

              North Carolina is one of just a handful of states that doesn’t have legalized medical marijuana.

              Support for legalizing hemp-derived products like seltzers and gummies with intoxicating levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) was similar to the support of legalizing recreational use of marijuana.

              • Of likely voters, 53% supported legalizing those products, compared to 28% who said they believed the products should be prohibited. Another 19% were unsure.
                • But overwhelmingly, 82% said they believed it shouldn’t be legal to sell the products to people younger than 21 years of age.

                  North Carolina lawmakers have explored regulating intoxicating hemp products but, amid federal uncertainty and disagreements over how far to take those regulations, they haven’t passed a bill to do so.

                  “We found a significant increase in support for legalization between 2017 and 2021 as North Carolinians saw legalization occurring in other states,” Husser said. “Over the last five years, support for legalization has largely been stable with a large majority supporting medical legalization and a small majority favoring recreational legalization.”