Washington Post: In blow to liberal efforts, voters across the country reject tax increases. (California is the exception.)

North Carolina voters, for instance, approved a change to their state constitution bringing down the maximum allowable tax rate from 10 percent to 7 percent. That will effectively only spare the rich from higher taxes, because no tax increases in that neighborhood are on the table for the middle class, but the average voter may have thought the plan lowered his or her taxes, said Meg Wiehe, deputy director of the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a left-leaning think tank.

“The question was worded in a way to make it seem like voters were supporting a tax cut, but unfortunately the cap largely insulates rich people and profitable companies from paying their fair share,” Wiehe said, adding that taxpayers may see higher taxes if the income tax cap leads to higher sales and property taxes. “A lot of times ballot initiatives come down to the question wording, and they are often deceptive.”