ELECTION 2026: Half-cent school sales tax fails with 42% of vote

Posted on November 4, 2026

Taylor County voters rejected the school district’s proposed half-cent sales tax in the Nov. 3 general election, with just 42% voting yes, according to vote-total tapes from each of the county’s ballot tabulators.

The tapes show 2,820 votes (41.98%) for the tax and 3,897 (58.02%) against it, a margin of 1,077 votes. 

Supervisor of Elections Dana Southerland released the tapes Wednesday, Nov. 4, in response to a public records request from Perry Newspapers.

The totals are unofficial and will not be certified for now. A signed order from Circuit Judge Fred Koberlein Jr., filed at 1:09 p.m. on Election Day, found the ballot language defective and barred election officials from reporting or certifying the results until a final ruling in the case.

The tax failed in 13 of the county’s 14 precincts, as well as in early voting and vote-by-mail. 

Only Precinct 5 at the Steinhatchee Community Center favored it, 208 to 197. 

It did worst in Precinct 11 at Athena Baptist Church, where 24.1% voted yes (33 to 104).

Early voters opposed it most strongly, with just 40.1% voting yes (1,097 to 1,639) and nearly 60% against. 

Mail ballots were 46.1% yes (435 to 508), and Election Day voters at the 14 precincts were 42.4% yes (1,288 to 1,750).

The result stands in contrast to the school district’s other tax question, which appeared directly above it on the ballot. 

Voters narrowly approved a four-year renewal of the district’s 0.25-mill property tax, 3,578 (54.58%) to 2,978 (45.42%), according to unofficial election-night results.

Still uncounted are 27 provisional ballots, which the canvassing board will consider Nov. 5 at 5 p.m., and four outstanding overseas ballots, to be canvassed Nov. 13 at 3 p.m. Even if all 31 were yes votes, the outcome would not change.

The tapes show 6,996 ballots were cast, but only 6,717 votes were counted on the referendum. Another 275 voters left the question blank, and four marked both yes and no, which voids the vote on that question.

If it had been approved and upheld, the 10-year tax would have run from Jan. 1, 2027, through Dec. 31, 2036, raising the local sales tax from 7% to 7.5%.

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