Participation in early voting has surged in this year’s municipal election compared with 2023, with the transportation tax referendum possibly driving more people to the polls.
Just under 34,000 people have voted early so far in this year’s municipal elections. With three days left in early voting, that’s 50% more than at this point two years ago.
While there is only one hotly contested Charlotte City Council race on the ballot, all of Mecklenburg County is voting on whether to increase the sales tax by one percentage point, to 8.25 percent. That money will pay for a multi-billion-dollar transportation plan.
The biggest surge in early voting has come in Matthews, where more than twice as many people have come to vote compared to 2023. Many in Matthews are against the transportation plan because it doesn’t bring the Silver Line light rail to the town.
There are three days left of early voting.
Election Day is Tuesday.
