(Alexandria, VA) – Many eyes are watching today’s Congressional and Gubernatorial elections to gauge voters’ attitudes on fiscal policies, but they shouldn’t overlook hundreds of state and local ballot measure races, according to an analysis from the 362,000-member National Taxpayers Union (NTU). Throughout Election Day NTU has been monitoring numerous contests from its recently published 2010 General Election Ballot Guide: The Taxpayer’s Perspective, which examines ballot questions in over 30 states – and so far they suggest that many of the same concerns about the national economy are affecting specific state and local issues too.
“To get a sense of the future fiscal direction of the nation, ballot measure results often provide more clues than the final tallies for candidates,” said NTU State Government Affairs Manager John Stephenson. “Contests in states as diverse as Washington and Missouri suggest that close-to-home pocketbook issues are packing a major punch at the polls.”
NTU will be online throughout election night and beyond with news and views from around the country on proposals to raise or lower taxes, limit spending, and make government more accountable. NTU’s blog and Twitter feed may be accessed at www.ntu.org.
Among the many states Stephenson’s watching today is Washington, where reports on the ground suggest that voters have become skeptical over imposing Washington’s first-ever income tax (though I-1098). Another measure in Washington, to repeal an expansion of the state’s sales tax to candy, bottled water, and soft drinks, also appeared to be winning headed into Election Day. Meanwhile, Missourians were deciding whether to prevent localities from imposing additional taxes on earnings, while requiring referendums on those levies where they currently exist. Significant measures to limit government were on the ballot coast-to-coast, from California to Massachusetts, while three states (Arizona, Colorado, and Oklahoma) were holding advisory referendums on the recent federal health-care law.
The 362,000-member NTU is a nonpartisan, nonprofit citizen group founded in 1969 to work for lower taxes, smaller government, and economic freedom at all levels. Note: 2010 General Election Ballot Guide: The Taxpayer’s Perspective is available online at www.ntu.org; a follow-on analysis of ballot measure election results will be published after November 2.
