Two referenda received voter support during the election and were passed, one making the Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education’s future elections partisan and another amending the state Constitution, changing the text that states that only legal citizens can vote.

The change to the school board election process will make it so that candidates will now file and be listed on the ballot based on their registered political party. The change will be made effective on Dec. 1, 2026, according to N.C. House Bill 31 from the 2023 legislative session, which governed the referendum. 

The referendum was the subject of a portion of the school board candidate forum, during which every present candidate said that they personally opposed the idea of bringing partisanship into the local school system. However, proponents of partisan school board elections throughout the state have said that the change would provide voters with more information when they step into the ballot box. 

H.B. 31 was originally introduced by State Representative Harry Warren, at which point it simply changed the filing period for school board candidates at the request of the Rowan County Board of Elections. However, while the bill was in the Senate, the extra wrinkle of making the school board a partisan race. A committee was formed with local Representatives and Senators, who agreed to the compromise of making the proposed change a ballot referendum and allowing the voters to decide.

The referendum passed with a vote of 34,511 for the change, or 55 percent, to 27,816 against the change, or 44 percent.

The amendment to the North Carolina Constitution will change the language surrounding legal citizens voting. Non-citizens are already barred from voting in the state, however supporters have said that the change would make the rule more airtight and show stronger support.

The referendum passed with 2,779,755 voters, or 77 percent, supporting the change and 815,370 voters, or 22 percent, against the change.

Rowan County voted in support of the amendment as well, albeit at a much smaller margin, with 34,511 voters in favor, or 55 percent, and 27,816 voters against, or 44 percent.

Election results are unofficial tallies until confirmed by the board of elections.