Four of Six Constitutional Amendments Pass, but Both Dealing with Balance of Power Fail | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: This post appears here courtesy of the Carolina Journal, and written by Kari Travis, associate editor.

    The Republican-led General Assembly hoped placing six constitutional amendments on the 2018 ballot which had polled well with voters would drive turnout in the GOP's favor. Instead, only four passed, while two which would have shifted more power to the legislative branch were defeated decisively.

    Amendments enshrining in the state constitution a right to hunt and fish, expanding the rights of crime victims, cutting the top income tax rate from 10 percent to 7 percent, and requiring voters to present a state-approved photo identification to vote passed.

    But measures restructuring the state board of elections and ethics enforcement and giving lawmakers more control over filling judicial vacancies lost by large margins.

    Results, as reported by the State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement as of 11:15 p.m., follow:

• Right to Hunt and Fish:
• For: 57.3 percent
• Against: 42.7 percent

• Strengthening Victims Rights (Marsy's Law):
• For: 62.14 percent
• Against: 37.85 percent

• Maximum Income Tax Rate of 7.0%:
• For: 57.43 percent
• Against: 42.57 percent

• Require Photo ID to Vote:
• For: 55.60 percent
• Against: 44.40 percent

• Nonpartisan Judicial Merit Commission:
• For: 33.23 percent
• Against: 66.77 percent

• Bipartisan Board of Ethics and Elections:
• For: 38.46 percent
• Against: 61.54 percent