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Some of the questions on Georgia's ballot are confusing. Here's what they mean

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Published  October 15, 2024 11:30pm EDT
2024 Election
FOX 5 Atlanta

Georgia's ballot question explained

The November election will feature more than just the presidential race and some voters who took advantage of the start of early voting had some big questions at the polls on Tuesday. They had concerns about the wording of three statewide ballot questions.

The Brief:

    • Georgia voters find state ballot questions confusing due to complicated legal wording.
    • A proposed amendment for homestead exemption could cap property assessments but may affect school and local government funding.
    • The ballot includes a question about establishing a state tax court to solely handle tax cases.
    • Another question seeks to increase the personal property tax exemption in business from $7,500 to $20,000.
    • Voters desire simpler language on the ballot and recommend providing a summary for clarity. Sample ballots are available on the Secretary of State’s website for review.

ATLANTA - As early voting begins, some Georgia voters have expressed frustration over the complicated wording of the state's ballot questions.  

At an early voting location at the High Art Museum on Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta, some voters said they felt like they could have used a lawyer in the ballot box to decipher the legal speak. 

"To be honest with you, I don’t know what some of this means," Jamie Goover, an early voter, said. "The way it’s written, it’s written like an old legal format." 

Brent Tillis, another voter, shared similar sentiments.  

"I thought it was extremely confusing. I did not know at all what I was voting for," Tillis said. "I think they should be much easier. They're extremely confusing." 

What questions are on Georgia's ballot?  

The ballot poses three questions to voters: 

Homestead Exemption  

"Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to authorize the General Assembly to provide by general law for a state-wide homestead exemption that serves to limit increases in the assessed value of homesteads, but which any county, consolidated government, municipality, or local school system may opt out of upon the completion of certain procedures?" 

The first concerns a homestead exemption, where voting "yes" means allowing state lawmakers to cap home property assessments based on the prior year’s inflation rate. While this could result in lower tax increases, it may also reduce funding for schools and local governments. 

State Tax Court 

"Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to provide for the Georgia Tax Court to be vested with the judicial power of the state and to have venue, judges, and jurisdiction concurrent with superior courts?"

The second question addresses the creation of tax courts. A "yes" vote would lead to the establishment of a new court focused solely on state tax cases. 

Personal property tax exemption

"Do you approve the Act that increases an exemption from property tax for all tangible personal property from $7,500.00 to $20,000.00?"

The third question proposes an increase in the tax exemption for personal property used in business. A "yes" vote would raise the exemption from $7,500 to $20,000.

The voters FOX 5 spoke with expressed a desire for simpler language on the ballot.  

"There should be at least a summary of what it’s actually trying to talk about, as like a one-liner," Goover suggested. 

For those who want to review the questions or the legislation behind them, sample ballots are available on the Secretary of State’s website.  

The Source

  • Information in this article was provided by the Georgia Secretary of State's Office as part of FOX 5 Atlanta's original reporting.