How a confusing ballot measure gets written …

by The Biscuit Staff on October 29, 2019

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Here’s a question that’s on the minds of many Charlotte-area voters in fall 2019: Why is the sales tax referendum written in such vague language on the ballot? Shouldn’t voters be made aware in the voting booth that they are voting for funds to be allocated to parks, arts and education? In 2007 legislation passed by the N.C. General Assembly gave to counties a local-option, quarter-cent sales tax (G.S. 105-535), which must be approved by voters in a referendum before it can be adopted by a county. However, “a county may not stipulate the use of the money on the ballot,” and “legislation specifies how the question must be presented on the ballot.” Well, we here at The Biscuit think that’s … how do we say … really, really dumb. So in the video above, we imagined what that ballot writing session must have been like.

BTW, here’s an example of what you’ll see in the voting booth:

Click here to see the ballot at your polling station.

Please vote … one way or the other … in the Mecklenburg County general election on November 5, 2019.