The kids have spoken in Durham's 2009 Mayor and City Council Elections and the results may surprise you! Some highlights include:

Like adults, the majority of kids voted Mayor Bill Bell to a fifth term. However, a much greater percentage of students than adults supported challenger Steve Williams.

Unlike their adult counterparts, Durham's young people gave 22-year-old Donald Hughes the majority of their votes for the Ward I City Council seat over incumbent Cora Cole-McFadden.

Kids re-elected Councilmen Howard Clement and Mike Woodard in City Council Wards II and III but also gave opponents Matt Drew and Allan Polak a greater share of their votes than did adult voters.

As in 2007, students identified schools and safety as their top two priorities for Durham. This year, however, jobs and employment ranked as the third most pressing concern with 30 percent of youth - more than double than 2007 - noting it as a top priority.

Many thanks to the young people, volunteers, educators, and partners that made the 2009 youth elections possible and so successful. Special thanks to the students who wrote candidate guides and led the youth candidate forum, to the Kids Voting Advisory Board, to the poll volunteers, and to Measurement Inc. for their partnership and ballot production and tabulation. And thanks to all the candidates who engaged with Durham's young people in this year's local elections.

Carolyn Kreuger

Kids Voting Durham

Durham Cooperative Extension