Election administration in North Dakota

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Election Information
Voter registration
Early voting
Absentee/mail-in voting
All-mail voting
Voter ID laws
State poll opening and closing times
Time off work for voting
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North Dakota 2024 elections

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Election administration encompasses a state's voting policies, procedures, and enforcement. These include voter identification requirements, early and absentee/mail-in voting provisions, voter list maintenance methods, and more. Each state's voting policies dictate who can vote and under what conditions.

THE BASICS

North Dakota is the only state without a system of voter registration.

North Dakota permits early voting and no-excuse absentee/mail-in voting.

In North Dakota, polls must open between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and close between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.

North Dakota requires identification to vote.

North Dakota holds open primary elections.

North Dakota has an online tool for checking the status of absentee/mail-in ballots.

Below, you will find details on the following election administration topics in North Dakota:

Poll times
Voter registration
Early and absentee/mail-in voting policy^[1]
Voter identification requirements
Provisional ballot rules
Primary election type
Time off work for voting
Voting rules for people convicted of a felony

Voter list maintenance
Post-election auditing
Election policy ballot measures
Election policy legislation
Ballot access
Redistricting
Election administration agencies

Poll times[edit]

See also: State poll opening and closing times

In North Dakota, voting hours at polling locations vary by county. According to statute, all polls must open between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. local time, and they must close between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. North Dakota is divided between the Central and Mountain time zones. Hours for specific polling places are available online through the state's Polling Place Search. A voter who is standing in line at the time the polls close will be allowed to vote.^[2]^[3]

Voter registration[edit]

Check your voter information here.

North Dakota is the only state that does not require voter registration.^[4]^[5]

“	Although North Dakota was one of the first states to adopt voter registration prior to the turn of the century, it abolished it in 1951. It is also worth noting that North Dakota law still provides cities with the ability to register voters for city elections. North Dakota is a rural state and its communities maintain close ties and networks. North Dakota's system of voting, and lack of voter registration, is rooted in its rural character by providing small precincts. Establishing relatively small precincts is intended to ensure that election boards know the voters who come to the polls to vote on Election Day and can easily detect those who should not be voting in the precinct.^[4]^[6]	”
—North Dakota Secretary of State

Early and absentee/mail-in voting policy[edit]

Early voting[edit]

See also: Early voting

North Dakota law permits counties to establish early voting.^[7] As of October 2024, seven of North Dakota's 53 counties offered early voting. Together, these counties contained 76 of the state's 175 Election Day polling places.^[8] Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.

Absentee/mail-in voting[edit]

See also: Absentee/mail-in voting

All voters are eligible to vote absentee in North Dakota. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.^[9]^[10]

There is no specific deadline for applying for an absentee ballot. The completed ballot must be postmarked at least one day before the election.^[10]

Returning absentee/mail-in ballots[edit]

See also: Mail ballot collection and return laws by state

Voters in North Dakota can cast an absentee/mail-in vote in person (early voting) or by mail. Electors may also authorize, in writing, an agent to assist them in acquiring and returning their ballot.^[9]^[10]

North Dakota law states the following:

“

The auditor or business manager of the school district, as the case may be, may not provide an absent voter's ballot to a person acting as an agent who cannot provide a signed, written authorization from an applicant. No person may receive compensation, including money, goods, or services, for acting as an agent for an elector, nor may a person act as an agent for more than four electors in any one election. A voter voting by absentee ballot may not require the political subdivision providing the ballot to bear the expense of the return postage for an absentee ballot.^[9]^[6]

”

Signature requirements and cure provisions[edit]

In North Dakota, voters must sign an affidavit printed on their ballot’s return envelope. Election clerks and board members of the polling place compare the signature on the affidavit to the signature on the absentee/mail-in ballot application for the purpose of verification. If they do not correspond or the affidavit is found to be inadequate, the ballot is rejected. North Dakota law does include a cure provision, or a law allowing voters to correct an issue with the signature on their absentee/mail-in ballot.

North Dakota law says, "the election official shall notify the absent voter the signatures do not appear to match," and that a verification curing the mismatched signature "must be completed by the absent voter before close of the meeting of the canvassing board occurring thirteen days after the election."^[9]

Was your absentee/mail-in ballot counted?[edit]

Use the Absentee Ballot Search tool provided by the North Dakota Secretary of State to check the status of your absentee/mail-in ballot.

Voter identification requirements[edit]

See also: Voter ID in North Dakota

See also: Voter identification laws by state

North Dakota requires voters to present identification while voting. Identification must include the voter’s name, current North Dakota residential address, and date of birth.^[11]

Acceptable forms of voter identification include:

Driver’s license
Nondriver’s identification card
Tribal government-issued identification (including those issued by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) for a tribe located in North Dakota, any other tribal agency or entity, or any other document that sets forth the tribal member’s name, date of birth, and current North Dakota residential address)
Long-term care identification certificate (provided by North Dakota facility)

If a voter does not have a form of identification that includes his or her current North Dakota residential address or date of birth, the voter can present the following supplemental documents:

Current utility bill
Current bank statement
Check or a document issued by a federal, state, local, or tribal government (including those issued by BIA for a tribe located in North Dakota, any other tribal agency or entity, or any other document that sets forth the tribal member’s name, date of birth, and current North Dakota residential address)
Paycheck
Student photo ID card from a North Dakota institution containing the student's photograph and legal name. A printed document on school letterhead containing the student’s name, address, and date of birth must also be presented.
North Dakota residents living outside of the United States can submit a U.S. Passport or Military ID if they do not have another valid form of identification.

According to the secretary of state's office, "An applicant without an acceptable form of identification may use an attester. The attester must provide his or her name, North Dakota driver’s license, nondriver’s, or tribal identification number, and sign the absentee/mail ballot application form to attest to the applicant’s North Dakota residency and voting eligibility."^[11]

Voters who cast absentee/mail-in ballot must include a valid form of identification with their ballot. A voter who has a disability that prevents them from leaving his or her home and is unable to obtain a valid form of identification "must provide his or her name, North Dakota driver’s license, nondriver’s, or tribal identification number, and sign the absentee/mail ballot application form to attest to the applicant’s North Dakota residency and voting eligibility."^[11]

Click here to learn more about the background of North Dakota's law.

As of April 2024, 35 states required voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Of these states, 24 required voters to present identification containing a photograph, and 11 accepted other forms of identification. The remaining 16 states did not require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day.

Valid forms of identification differ by state. In certain states that require voters to provide identification, there may be exceptions that allow some voters to cast a ballot without providing an ID. To see more about these exceptions, see details by state. Commonly accepted forms of ID include driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, and military identification cards.

Provisional balloting for voters without ID[edit]

Voters who do not show proper identification can cast a provisional ballot, called a "set-aside ballot." See below for provisional ballot rules.

Provisional ballot rules[edit]

Voters in North Dakota are given provisional ballots, or ballots requiring additional steps or information before they can be counted, if a court order is issued to extend polling hours or if they are unable to provide proper identification. The voter must present a driver’s license, non-driver ID, Tribal ID or documentation, Long Term Care Certificate, or supplemental identification within 13 days of the election for their set-aside ballot to be counted. A voter can present their updated ID in person or online.^[11]^[12]^[13]

Local election officials[edit]

Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool.

Primary election type[edit]

See also: Primary elections in North Dakota

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. A primary election is also sometimes used to choose convention delegates and party leaders; however, these selection processes can vary from state to state and party to party within a state. In North Dakota, precinct, district, and state party officials are selected at party caucuses and conventions, not at the state-administered primary election. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. North Dakota utilizes an open primary system, in which voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.^[14]^[9]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Time off work for voting[edit]

In North Dakota, employers are encouraged, but not required, to grant time off for eligible employees to vote:

“

It is the policy of this state to encourage voting by all eligible voters at all statewide special, primary, or general elections. To this end, employers are encouraged to establish a program to grant an employee who is a qualified voter to be absent from the employee's employment for the purpose of voting when an employee's regular work schedule conflicts with voting during time when polls are open.^[15]^[6]

”

As of September 2024, 28 states required employers to grant employees time off to vote. Within these 28 states, policies varied as to whether that time off must be paid and how much notice must be given.

Voting rules for people convicted of a felony[edit]

See also: Voting rights for people convicted of a felony

In North Dakota, individuals serving time in prison because of a felony conviction do not have a right to vote. Voting rights are automatically regained upon release from prison. Click here for more information regarding an incarcerated individual's rights in North Dakota.

Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.^[16]

Post-election auditing[edit]

North Dakota state law requires post-election audits. County election officials randomly test the voting system programming for one precinct in each county in the state according to logic and accuracy testing procedures. The audit must be completed before the canvass.^[17] Post-election audits check that election results tallied by a state's voting system match results from paper records, such as paper ballots filled out by voters or the paper records produced by electronic voting machines. Post-election audits are classified into two categories: audits of election results—which include traditional post-election audits as well as risk-limiting audits—and procedural audits.^[18]^[19]

Typically, traditional post-election audits are done by recounting a portion of ballots, either electronically or by hand, and comparing the results to those produced by the state's voting system. In contrast, risk-limiting audits use statistical methods to compare a random sample of votes cast to election results instead of reviewing every ballot. The scope of procedural audits varies by state, but they typically include a systematic review of voting equipment, performance of the voting system, vote totals, duties of election officials and workers, ballot chain of custody, and more.

As of October 2024, 49 states and the District of Columbia had some form of post-election audit by law. Of these, 35 states and the District of Columbia required traditional post-election audits, while six states required risk-limiting post-election audits by law. Eight states used some other form of post-election audit, including procedural post-election audits.^[20]^[21]

Election policy ballot measures[edit]

See also: Elections and campaigns on the ballot and List of North Dakota ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked the following ballot measures relating to election and campaign policy in North Dakota.

Recent legislation related to election administration in North Dakota[edit]

The table below lists bills related to election administration that have been introduced during (or carried over to) the current legislative session in North Dakota. The following information is included for each bill:

State
Bill number
Official name or caption
Most recent action date
Legislative status
Topics dealt with by the bill

Bills are organized alphabetically, first by state and then by bill number. The table displays up to 100 results by default. To view additional results, use the arrows in the upper-right corner of the table. For more information about a particular bill, click the bill number. This will open a separate page with additional information.

Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker[edit]

State election laws are changing. Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job.

Here's the solution: Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker.

Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. But that's just the beginning of what it can do:

Ballotpedia's election experts provide daily updates on bills and other relevant political developments
We translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries written in everyday language
And because it's from Ballotpedia, our Tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan

The Ballot Bulletin[edit]

The Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy. The Ballot Bulletin tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker. You'll also be able to track relevant legislation, with links to and summaries of the bills themselves.

Click here to view recent issues and subscribe.

Ballot access[edit]

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in North Dakota

A cardboard ballot box at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History

In order to get on the ballot in North Dakota, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.

There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.

An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
An individual can run as a write-in candidate.

This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in North Dakota. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates, click here. Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contact state election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).

Redistricting[edit]

See also: Redistricting in North Dakota

"Gerrymandering"

Redistricting is the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn. North Dakota's one United States Representative and 141 state legislators are elected from political divisions called districts. United States Senators are not elected by districts, but by the states at large. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. The federal government stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.^[22]^[23]^[24]^[25]

North Dakota was apportioned 1 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, the same number it received after the 2010 census.

HIGHLIGHTS

Following the 2020 United States Census, North Dakota was apportioned one congressional seat, which was unchanged from the number it had after the 2010 census.

North Dakota comprises 47 legislative districts. Each district elects one senator and two representatives.

Because North Dakota is home to only one U.S. House district, congressional redistricting is not necessary. The state legislature is responsible for drawing state legislative district lines.

State process[edit]

See also: State-by-state redistricting procedures

Because North Dakota has only one congressional district, congressional redistricting is not necessary. The state legislature draws state legislative district boundaries. State legislative district lines are subject to veto by the governor.^[26]

The North Dakota Constitution requires that state legislative districts be "compact and contiguous."^[26]^[27]

Election administration agencies[edit]

Election agencies[edit]

Seal of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission

See also: State election agencies

Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in North Dakota can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.

North Dakota County Election Officials

Click here for a list

North Dakota Secretary of State, Elections Division

600 E. Boulevard Ave., 1st Floor, Dept. 108

Bismarck, North Dakota 58505-0500

Phone: 701-328-2900

Toll free: 800-352-0867

Fax: 701-328-2992

Email: soselect@nd.gov

Website: https://www.sos.nd.gov

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200

Washington, DC 20001