Nov. 5 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. voters from California to Maine embraced municipal debt as they approved at least $52.8 billion in new borrowing, passing 82 percent of measures for which results were available. Californians approved at least $34.7 billion, including money for schools and loans to veterans.

Local governments in 41 states asked voters for $67 billion in bond authorizations yesterday, the second-biggest wish list after November 2006's $78.6 billion, according to data updated today from Ipreo, a New York-based financial data provider. Citizens were polled on the biggest amount of borrowing during a presidential election.

Taxpayers assented to most of the $64.5 billion in proposals for which results were available via Ipreo, as they shrugged off an economic slump and state budget woes to affirm their support for public works and infrastructure. On average, voters approved 82 percent of the debt proposed at November general elections during the past decade.

``It shows a level of optimism and confidence by voters that's surprising and very positive,'' said Matt Fabian, managing director and senior analyst at Concord, Massachusetts- based research firm Municipal Market Advisors. ``Even though governments are challenged now, investing in long-term infrastructure is important to get the economy growing.''

California had the largest referendum -- Proposition 1A, $9.95 billion in funding for a high-speed train network -- with proposals around the state totaling almost $42 billion.

Voters statewide gave the rail plan 52 percent approval, with 98 percent of precincts counted, according to the California Secretary of State's Web site.

Travel Alternative

``We couldn't be more thrilled with voters' approval of Prop 1A,'' said Emily Rusch, spokeswoman for the California Public Interest Research Group in San Francisco. ``With this vote, Californians decided to reduce our oil dependence, to build alternatives to traffic and long airport lines, and to help solve global warming. Californians were also voting to boost the economy.''

Californians approved selling bonds to fund mortgages for military veterans and to improve children's hospitals, while 60 percent rejected a proposal for development of alternative fuels.

In Los Angeles County, voters approved $7 billion of debt for repairs to its largest public school system and $3.5 billion for the nation's largest system of community colleges.

Voters approved $13.4 billion in statewide bond measures, including $400 million apiece in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Results of about 65 local ballot questions totaling $2.6 billion weren't yet available from Ipreo as of 3:30 p.m. New York time.

Texas Schools

The approval rate for Texas school districts mirrored the nation as a whole, with voters assenting to 81 percent, or $1.34 billion, of the $1.65 billion in bonds proposed, based on preliminary data compiled by Bloomberg and TexasISD.com, which tracks news on schools in the state.

``Voters tend to approve most school bond propositions,'' said Catherine Clark, assistant executive director of the Texas Association of School Boards. ``We have an aging infrastructure and have to build for 82,000 additional students a year.''

Last year, municipal bond elections in Texas made up almost 70 percent of $29 billion in proposed measures on Election Day. This year's slate in the second-most populous state fell to about $4.7 billion, with voters approving at least $3.8 billion, according to Ipreo data.

The last time voters rejected the majority of requests during a general election was in 1990, another period when the economy was weakening. Only 41 percent of the $12 billion proposed were approved.

John Matsusaka, executive director of the University of Southern California's Initiative and Referendum Institute in Los Angeles, had suggested the contracting U.S. economy and slump in consumer spending may sour taxpayers' appetite for debt.

``I thought voters would say, `We don't want to borrow because these are tough times coming,' but I guess not,'' Matsusaka said.

Following is a list of results for 25 of yesterday's largest U.S. municipal bond elections, along with other statewide debt initiatives, according to Ipreo:

California                         $11.8 billion       Pass
                                   $5 billion          Fail
Los Angeles USD                    $7 billion          Pass
Los Angeles CCD                    $3.5 billion        Pass
San Diego USD                      $2.1 billion        Pass
Columbus, Ohio                     $1.7 billion        Pass
Long Beach USD, California         $1.2 billion        Pass
East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana $989 million        Fail
San Francisco                      $887 million        Pass
Santa Clara County, California     $840 million        Pass
Dallas County, Texas               $747 million        Pass
Center USD, California             $500 million        Pass

Long Beach, California             $571 million        Pending
East Bay Regional Park District, California
                                   $500 million        Pass
Victor Valley UHSD, California     $500 million        Pass
Denton County, Texas               $495 million        Pass
Los Rios CCD, California           $475 million        Fail
Denver SD No. 1                    $454 million        Pass
Grossmont UHSD, California         $417 million        Pending
Ohio                               $400 million        Pass
Pennsylvania                       $400 million        Pass
Douglas County SD, Colorado        $395 million        Fail
Southwestern CCD, California       $389 million        Pass
Peoria, Arizona                    $378 million        Pass
Portland CCD, Oregon               $374 million        Pass
Sedgwick County USD No. 259 in Wichita, Kansas
                                   $370 million        Pass

Other statewide ballots:
Alaska                             $315 million        Pass
Arkansas                           $300 million        Pass
New Mexico                         $224 million        Pass
Rhode Island                       $90 million         Pass
Maine                              $3.4 million        Pass

SD School District
USD Unified School District
CCD Community College District
UHSD Union High School District

To contact the reporters on this story: Jeremy R. Cooke in New York at jcooke8@bloomberg.net; Adam L. Cataldo in New York at acataldo@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: November 5, 2008 16:25 EST