Durham NC—Nearly 2500 Durham students
and young people cast a vote November 3 in local Kids Voting Durham
Elections. Mayor Bill Bell was
re-elected by young people with 1403 (57%) votes to Steven Williams 1048
(43%).
City Council races were much
closer – and in one case yielded a different result – than in the adult
vote. 22-year-old candidate
Donald Hughes won the Kids Voting Ward I City Council race with 1355 votes over
incumbent Cora Cole-McFadden.
Durham adult voters returned Cole-McFadden to office.
Ward II’s Howard Clement narrowly
was the kids’ choice receiving 1159 votes with opponent Matt Drew garnering
1096. The Ward III City Council
race was even closer with Councilman Mike Woodard getting only 12 votes more
than challenger Allan Polak, with the final count being 1134 votes to 1122.
“Voting lets people know what you think,
and that’s important in democracy”, said a 3rd grader voting at the
Durham Cooperative Extension precinct.
Many students used the Kids
Voting Durham Youth Candidate Guides -- created by Durham School of the Arts
Octagon Club members -- to help them decide which candidates to support. The questionnaires reflected candidates’
plans for involving young people in local government, making public
transportation more youth-friendly and enhancing recreation opportunities for
teens among other issues. The
guides even gave a personal touch, detailing candidates’ favorite ice cream and
activities when they were young.
“I liked that Mayor Bell helped
make a skate board park for kids,” said one Central Park for School for Children
student.
“I voted for the new guys to give
them a chance to try too,” offered Nora, a 1st grader, partly
explaining the challengers’ popularity with students.
Thanks to the partnership of
Measurement, Inc. Kids Voting results were available on Election Night after the
polls closed, just like the provisional results of the adult vote. Dozens of volunteers from community
& youth groups and schools helped young people vote at Kids Voting centers
at Durham precincts, school, and recreation centers.
Kids Voting Durham is a program
of Durham County Cooperative Extension and an affiliate of Kids Voting North
Carolina and USA.
