 The
NCCBI-led campaign for passage of the $3.1 billion bond issue
for community colleges and the UNC System campuses celebrated
an historic victory, winning in all 100 counties.
The vote was 73 percent in favor and 27 percent against. The
1.8 million votes for the bonds led the ticket. More people
voted for the bonds than for the winning candidate in either
the presidential or gubernatorial contests.
The largest bond issue in state history -- and also the
largest bond issue for higher education passed by any state in
the history of the nation -- will give $2.5 billion to the 16
universities and UNC public TV and $600 million to the 59 community
colleges.
"What I've seen today has said to me that the citizens of
North Carolina really connect with higher education," UNC
system President Molly Broad told the Charlotte Observer.
"They really see the opportunity for their children and
grandchildren. North Carolina is seen as a bellwether in
public higher education, and the result of today's vote will
send a powerful signal across the nation."
The NCCBI-leg campaign organization, North Carolinians for
Educational Opportunity, spent more than $3.5 million in a
four-month campaign to pass the measure. "It's the most
significant effort to pass a bond that I can remember,"
said Leslie Bevacqua, director of North Carolinians for
Educational Opportunity.
In a letter to the editor they submitted to the North Carolina
magazine, Broad and Community College System President Martin
Lancaster said they were deeply grateful:
"We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the
voters of North Carolinia for their overwhelming support of
the higher-education improvement bonds, and for their
demonstration of confidence in our public university campuses
and community colleges. With their votes on Nov. 7, our
citizens affirmed that higher education in this state must
continue to open the doors of opportunity for their children
and grandchildren, as it has done for generations past. We
pledge to honor this enduring faith, and to ensure that the
funds generated by this bond issue are spent wisely to
preserve and expand access to the highest quality education
and training." |
|
County |
For
|
Against
|
|
Alamance
|
25,050
|
10,765
|
|
Alexander
|
7,645
|
4,210
|
|
Alleghany
|
2,445
|
1,527
|
|
Anson
|
4,641
|
1,839
|
|
Ashe
|
5,224
|
3,447
|
|
Avery
|
3,782
|
1,408
|
|
Beaufort
|
10,973
|
4,503
|
|
Bertie
|
3,949
|
642
|
|
Bladen
|
6,495
|
2,428
|
|
Brunswick
|
16,568
|
8,461
|
|
Buncombe
|
49,296
|
16,604
|
|
Burke
|
19,770
|
7,846
|
|
Cabarrus
|
26,726
|
11,274
|
|
Caldwell
|
15,180
|
7,675
|
|
Camden
|
1,573
|
601
|
|
Carteret
|
16,350
|
8,300
|
|
Caswell
|
5,071
|
2,015
|
|
Catawba
|
31,935
|
11,766
|
|
Chatham
|
13,622
|
4,292
|
|
Cherokee
|
4,838
|
2,110
|
|
Chowan
|
2,289
|
394
|
|
Clay
|
2,610
|
791
|
|
Cleveland
|
20,007
|
8,497
|
|
Columbus
|
10,738
|
3,849
|
|
Craven
|
20,595
|
8,070
|
|
Cumberland
|
48,613
|
19,667
|
|
Currituck
|
3,997
|
1,444
|
|
Dare
|
9,113
|
3,149
|
|
Davidson
|
32,903
|
12,984
|
|
Davie
|
8,720
|
4,052
|
|
Duplin
|
8,049
|
2,593
|
|
Durham
|
64,780
|
11,964
|
|
Edgecombe
|
13,186
|
2,402
|
|
Forsyth
|
80,604
|
26,018
|
|
Franklin
|
9,606
|
4,202
|
|
Gaston
|
36,489
|
14,473
|
|
Gates
|
2,340
|
475
|
|
Graham
|
4,543
|
868
|
|
Granville
|
10,708
|
2,578
|
|
Greene
|
4,022
|
1,165
|
|
Guilford
|
119,436
|
43,224
|
|
Halifax
|
13,101
|
2,980
|
|
Harnett
|
14,409
|
5,544
|
|
Haywood
|
12,693
|
5,364
|
|
Henderson
|
22,182
|
9,740
|
|
Hertford
|
5,964
|
936
|
|
Hoke
|
5,054
|
864
|
|
Hyde
|
1,493
|
659
|
|
Iredell
|
31,275
|
10,842
|
|
Jackson
|
7,545
|
3,353
|
|
Johnston
|
26,102
|
11,145
|
|
Jones
|
2,527
|
906
|
|
Lee
|
10,023
|
4,760
|
|
Lenoir
|
12,968
|
3,376
|
|
Lincoln
|
15,280
|
6,545
|
|
McDowell
|
6,099
|
2,229
|
|
Macon
|
7,525
|
3,237
|
|
Madison
|
4,297
|
2,046
|
|
Martin
|
7,442
|
1,227
|
|
Mecklenburg
|
133,313
|
44,536
|
|
Mitchell
|
2,695
|
1,449
|
|
Montgomery
|
5,884
|
1,929
|
|
Moore
|
15,577
|
4,887
|
|
Nash
|
18,487
|
6,153
|
|
N.Hanover
|
40,494
|
18,278
|
|
Northampton
|
6,418
|
1,205
|
|
Onslow
|
19,271
|
6,695
|
|
Orange
|
39,896
|
8,153
|
|
Pamlico
|
3,447
|
1,282
|
|
Pasquotank
|
7,449
|
1,800
|
|
Pender
|
8,725
|
3,369
|
|
Perquimans
|
2,487
|
699
|
|
Person
|
6,823
|
2,835
|
|
Pitt
|
27,580
|
6,845
|
|
Polk
|
5,097
|
2,355
|
|
Randolph
|
23,756
|
12,610
|
|
Richmond
|
10,678
|
2,333
|
|
Robeson
|
20,339
|
4,845
|
|
Rockingham
|
19,771
|
7,836
|
|
Rowan
|
27,795
|
11,050
|
|
Rutherford
|
13,963
|
5,685
|
|
Sampson
|
11,710
|
4,369
|
|
Scotland
|
2,872
|
453
|
|
Stanly
|
12,347
|
8,103
|
|
Stokes
|
9,512
|
5,114
|
|
Surry
|
14,882
|
5,632
|
|
Swain
|
2,117
|
648
|
|
Transylvania
|
8,538
|
4,988
|
|
Tyrrell
|
1,172
|
314
|
|
Union
|
28,115
|
14,213
|
|
Vance
|
7,834
|
1,999
|
|
Wake
|
186,769
|
58,363
|
|
Warren
|
4,703
|
1,397
|
|
Washington
|
3,413
|
906
|
|
Watauga
|
11,300
|
4,643
|
|
Wayne
|
21,393
|
6,228
|
|
Wilkes
|
13,352
|
8,270
|
|
Wilson
|
12,095
|
2,858
|
|
Yadkin
|
8,429
|
3,849
|
|
Yancey
|
5,289
|
2,566
|
|
Totals
|
1,812,003
|
656,311
|
|
