Exciting Changes in South Carolina’s Voting Laws!
Hey there, folks! If you’ve been keeping an eye on the news, you may have heard about some significant happenings down here in South Carolina, especially when it comes to our voting laws. Recently, a proposed constitutional amendment made its way onto the ballot, presenting a rather intriguing question to the people of the Palmetto State. And with about 80% of the votes tallied, the results are in—an impressive 85% of voters approved the change!
What’s the Amendment All About?
So, what’s this amendment all about? Well, it focuses on the language of Section 4, Article II of our Constitution. The current wording states, “Every citizen of the United States and of this State of the age of eighteen and upwards who is properly registered is entitled to vote as provided by law.” However, the proposed amendment shifts this to read, “Only a citizen of the United States and of this State of the age of eighteen and upwards who is properly registered is entitled to vote as provided by law.” This change raises some interesting discussions about who qualifies to vote in our great state.
Now, South Carolina isn’t flying solo on this amendment. Nope! It appears that eight other states across the nation, including North Carolina, saw similar measures on their ballots, asking their residents the same question. It looks like many states are looking to tighten up their voting regulations, and South Carolina is leading the way.
Greenville County Votes Against Sales Tax Hike
In other news, let’s chat about the outcomes from Greenville County. Voters there recently faced a big decision regarding a proposed 1% sales tax increase. The question posed on the ballot asked if this special tax should be imposed for no more than eight years to raise funds for vital infrastructure improvements. With 100% of precincts reporting, it seems that many in Greenville County said “no thanks,” as the measure failed by about three percentage points.
Now, if the tax had passed, it would have generated a whopping $1 billion to tackle significant road and intersection improvements. Given that most of the roads in the county are in fair to poor condition, that funding could have made quite the difference! Greenville County has a vast network of roads, totaling about 1,800 miles, making it the largest county in South Carolina in terms of road ownership. Unfortunately, the county only manages to pave 28 to 32 miles each year.
Currently, the county spends roughly $78 million annually on road maintenance, and this includes contributions from the state’s Department of Transportation, which kicks in about $27 million, alongside another $4 million from the County Transportation Committee fund that comes from state gas taxes. Even with these funds, there seems to be a pressing need for more resources to tackle the road situation.
Folks Are Turning Out to Vote!
It’s noteworthy that these amendments and tax measures were featured alongside voters’ picks for president, congress, statehouse, and local government. That means, all in one go, residents were weighing significant decisions affecting their state and local communities. The engagement and turnout just show how invested the people of South Carolina are when it comes to what happens in their backyard!
So, there you have it! Changes are afoot in South Carolina, and it’s always enlightening to see how voters respond to issues that matter most to them. This is Savannah Moss reporting on the latest updates in SC politics and government. If you’ve got thoughts to share or want to discuss more, feel free to reach out!
