New study: When taxes are on the ballot, more voters should have a say

Mountain States Policy Center today released a new study examining voter turnout on tax increase ballot measures and recommending that tax proposals be considered during November general elections rather than low-turnout special elections.

The study, Tax increase ballot measures: How to increase voter participation, authored by Policy Fellow Sam Cardwell, finds that local tax increases are frequently decided during special elections that attract significantly fewer voters than primary or general elections.

"Tax increases affect every family and business in a community, and those decisions should be made when the greatest number of voters are participating," said Sam Cardwell. "If government officials are asking taxpayers for more money, those measures should appear on ballots when voter engagement is at its highest."

The study notes that special elections average approximately 19 percent voter turnout nationally, compared to 44 percent turnout in general elections. It also highlights that roughly 82 percent of local-option sales tax measures nationwide between 1981 and 2020 were decided during special elections.

Cardwell points to reforms in California that moved many local elections onto statewide election dates. According to research cited in the study, voter turnout increased from an average of 25.5 percent in off-cycle elections to more than 75 percent when elections were consolidated with statewide contests.

The report also examines recent election reforms in Idaho, where lawmakers eliminated March elections in 2023 and August school elections in 2024 in an effort to increase voter participation. The study argues that policymakers should continue those efforts by requiring tax increase measures to appear on November general-election ballots whenever possible.

"Public confidence in government is strengthened when important decisions are made with broad public participation," said Cardwell. "Election schedules should encourage voter engagement, not limit it."

The study concludes that tax increase ballot measures should be considered during general elections, or at minimum during primary elections, rather than low-turnout special elections.

The full report is available here.

About Mountain States Policy Center

Mountain States Policy Center is an independent research organization based in Idaho dedicated to developing and promoting public policy solutions that empower individuals, strengthen communities, and expand opportunity throughout the Inland Northwest and Rocky Mountain West.

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