2024 General Election Ballot Questions

After a hard fought primary season, the Republican party is heading into the General Election with some great candidates on the ballot to vote for. Be sure to check out and share our Voter Guide here. Also, please research and tell others about the non-partisan School Board races. These are very important and usually don’t get as much attention as the more popular federal races.

This General Election we will also have two ballot questions to consider. Both address serious matters and your help is needed to educate others so they can make a well-informed decision when they go to the polls.

*GPC will provide you our opinion and justification on whether we believe a YES or NO vote is most appropriate on the ballot questions this year. That said, we advocate first and foremost for a well-informed citizenry which means doing your own research and using critical thinking when approaching the polls.

Statewide Question

The statewide question is for a South Carolina Constitutional Amendment. It reads as follows: Must Section 4, Article II of the Constitution of this State, relating to voter qualifications, be amended so as to provide that 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?

What does that mean? By adding the word “only” we would be closing a loophole that has been exploited in other states to allow non-citizens to vote. We are fortunate that this has not happened in SC yet, and are grateful that our legislature has initiated this proactive step to prevent it, but we cannot presume that it never would, and should do everything we can to safeguard the sanctity of our elections. Since Greenville Patriot Caucus believes in the sacred duty and honor of our vote as American citizens and South Carolinians, we believe a YES vote is most appropriate for this question.

County Question

The county question is long and can be read in its entirety on our Voter Guide page, but it posits that a 1% sales tax increase should be implemented for 8 years in order to do a set of repairs to roads, bridges, etc. One main thing voters need to understand is that the money for these projects will not be collected prior to them being done. Instead, based on the projected money to be collected, bonds will be purchased so repairs can begin.

One of the pillars of the Republican Platform is low taxes, and with that, fiscal responsibility. We must remain committed to our platform and be sure that all taxes serve the purposes they will be collected for and not stunt the taxpayer or punish achievement. While GPC agrees that we are the party of opportunity and support a tax policy that helps to grow the economy, we feel there are too many unanswered questions surrounding this proposal to move forward at this time and would request more transparency for the citizens before instituting such a policy.

Questions such as:

• How has the tax money that Greenville County citizens have already paid towards road maintenance been allocated?

• Who will be appointed to the ‘citizens oversight committee’?

• What guarantees are in place to ensure this proposed sales tax is in fact lifted at the end of the 8 year period?

• What recourse do the people have if the proposed sales tax is not lifted at the end of the 8 year period?

• What will happen if an insufficient amount of funds are raised through the proposed sales tax to pay for the bonds?

  • *Note: At the end of the very long ballot question reads: “…and in the event such sales and use tax is inadequate for the payment of such bonds, such bonds shall be payable from an ad valorem tax imposed on all taxable property in Greenville County.” The way this reads, it can be assumed that the answer to our last question is, more taxes.

In addition, GPC recognizes that the people of Greenville County made it clear that their desire is for increased transparency, a forensic audit of our budget, and no additional tax increases without fiscal accountability when they voted overwhelmingly to unseat all but one council member who voted for the 2024/2025 property tax increase. GPC believes that the voice of the People should be respected by allowing the incoming and incumbent council members more time to analyze the existing budget, provide clarity to the people, and explore alternative solutions before any new taxes are approved. We believe a NO vote is most appropriate for this question.

For even more information, tune in this Thursday, October 24th, from 5-6 pm on 98.9 WORD for the Charlie James Show to hear a LIVE discussion of the Sales Tax Referendum question.

Where Should You Go to Vote?
We encourage you to visit www.scvotes.gov before every election to check your voter registration, confirm your polling location, and view your sample ballot. We have created a step-by-step guide that walks you through this process. You can find that HERE.

Below is a list of early voting locations you can vote at Monday through Saturday, from 8:30 am to 6 pm, until November 2nd! So be sure not to let anything get in the way of you casting your vote and making your voice heard loud and clear!

Greenville Patriot Caucus is committed to ensuring you have all the tools you need to be a well-informed voter and we’re here to encourage you to exercise your most fundamental Right as an American by getting out to vote and letting your voices be heard.

If you have any questions about upcoming elections, how you can get more involved in the political process, or how you can become a part of the conservative change you want to see in your community, please reach out! We’re standing by ready to support you every step of the way. Let’s #AdvanceLibertyTogether!

info@GreenvillePatriotCaucus.com