The referendum, which was initiated by a coalition of student organizations, passed by a margin of 5,886 to 786.
"What's important is not just that we passed it but that we passed it by so many votes," said Tara Purohit, organizer of the UNC Common Cause/Democracy Matters Student Alliance for Campaign Finance Reform.
Purohit said she was excited that there was little opposition to the referendum but said it is important that supporters continue to work for campaign finance reform even though the referendum has passed. She said she plans to use the large margin to encourage other students to get involved in the issue.
Dennis Markatos, a recent UNC graduate and organizer of the alliance, also said he was impressed by the turnout and support for the referendum.
"We're very proud of UNC for doing the research, getting involved and turning out to vote," Markatos said.
Markatos said he believes the large show of support is a result of student volunteers' efforts to organize forums and movie showings in the last weeks of the campaign.
Purohit said she now will work to coordinate efforts with other N.C. universities to lobby the state legislature. She said she also plans to continue efforts to educate the student body about the necessity of campaign finance reform.
"We've put a lot into this in the last three weeks," Purohit said. "It's a nice payoff."
