Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Only 1 in 5 expected to vote on Michigan roads, sales tax

Only 1 in 5 expected to vote on Michigan roads, sales tax:
"LANSING – An elections expert is projecting that 1.5 million Michigan voters will turn out for the May 5 road funding special election on Proposal 1.
That's less than the 2.4 million in Michigan who voted in the Proposal A special election of 1994, but higher than some analysts have predicted.
..."If I have to guess, I'd pick 1.5 million, as of right now," Grebner, a political consultant whose firm is known for its extensive voter lists, said in an e-mail to the Free Press. "But nothing between 1.2 (million) and 1.8 (million) would surprise me."
Proposal 1 would hike the state sales tax to 7% from 6%, take the sales tax off fuel sales, and hike fuel taxes — raising close to $1.3 billion extra for roads.
When fully implemented, the plan would also generate about $200 million a year more for schools; $116 million for transit and rail; send $111 million more to local governments; and give a $260-million tax break to low- and moderate-income families through restoration of the Earned Income Tax Credit.
If 1.5 million people vote, that would equate to a turnout of about 21% of registered voters -- similar to the turnout in many primaries. 
About 1.3 million people voted in the 2014 primary, for an 18% turnout; about 1.5 million voters in the 2012 primary (21%); and about 1.7 million voted in the 2010 primary (23%)."

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