North Dakota

Land Acknowledgement

North Dakota is the home of the Spirit Lake Tribe, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. It is also the traditional homeland of many tribes.

Overview

North Dakota does not require you to register to vote. If you are an eligible voter, you are automatically registered to vote. You must bring valid ID to vote. You can vote as early as October 24 in person. Absentee ballots will be made available starting September 29. The deadline to mail in ballot is November 1.

Key Dates

October 24 - Early Voting in person (varies by location)

November 1 - Mail in ballots must be postmarked by this date

November 7 - Last day to request an absentee ballot

November 8 - Election Day

Contacts

  • County Auditors

  • Secretary of State: call at (701) 328-2900 or toll free at (800) 352-0867 (option 6) or email at sos@nd.gov

North Dakota Voting Guide

Note: The information below is not legal advice on how to vote. Because voting information is changing rapidly during this election, make sure you check the links provided and check with your state about deadlines and voting specifics.

Registering to Vote

  • North Dakota does not require voter registration. You may vote if you provide acceptable ID and you are an eligible voter. In order to vote in North Dakota, you must be:

    - A citizen of the United States

    - Eighteen years or older on the day of election

    - A resident of North Dakota

    - A resident in the precinct at least thirty days immediately preceding any election

    - Able to provide a North Dakota driver's license, non-driver ID, or tribal ID that includes your current residential address and date of birth (If an individual's valid form of identification does not include all the information required in subsection 2 of NDCC §16.1-01-04.1, or the information is not current, the identification must be supplemented by presenting any of the documents as outlined in subsection 3 of NDCC § 16.1-01-04.1.)

  • No.

  • North Dakota does not require voter registration. Any eligible voter may vote if they provide acceptable identification.

  • North Dakota does not require voter registration. Any eligible voter may vote if they provide acceptable identification.

  • To verify if your address is valid for voting purposes, contact the 911 Coordinator for your county to verify your address is valid. In addition, as a result of a recent lawsuit, Native American voters who do not have or do not know their residential street address can locate their residence on a map at the polls or when applying for an absentee ballot, and an official must provide them with an address and allow them to vote.

    Tribal members and non-member residents residing in a precinct that includes land within the tribal government jurisdiction may use the following maps to assist the 911 Coordinator to determine the residential address.

    For the Mandan, Hidatsa, & Arikara Nation: (Dunn County), (McKenzie County), (McLean County), (Mercer County), (Mountrail County).

    For the Sisseton/Wahpeton Oyate: (Richland County), (Sargent County).

    For the Spirit Lake Nation: (Benson County), (Eddy County).

    For the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe: (Sioux County).

    For the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa: (Rolette County).

  • You do not need to register to vote, but you will need a valid ID in order to vote. There are four ways to get a valid ID with address:

    1) The Department of Transportation (DOT) issues non driver IDs for free

    (2) DOT also can issue a new driver's license, for a cost

    (3) if you have a valid ID with the wrong address, you can call DOT at (701) 328-4353 or go online and you can update your address for free without having to get a new ID (this will update your voter record); and

    (4) you can get a new ID from your tribal government, likely at no cost.

  • North Dakota does not require voter registration. Any eligible voter may vote if they provide acceptable identification.

  • All eligible citizens can vote in North Dakota without registration.

  • All eligible citizens can vote in North Dakota without registration.

  • All eligible citizens can vote in North Dakota without registration.

  • Yes. You can register to vote immediately after your release. You cannot vote if you currently incarcerated for a felony conviction. Pretrial detention, misdemeanors, probation, and parole do not restrict your voting rights.

  • All eligible citizens can vote in North Dakota without registration.

  • North Dakota does not have voter registration. All eligible citizens can vote in North Dakota without registration.

  • North Dakota does not have voter registration. All eligible citizens can vote in North Dakota without registration.

Checking & Updating Voter Registration

  • North Dakota does not register voters. If you are an eligible resident of North Dakota, you are already set to vote. In North Dakota a place is an eligible residence when it is the place where you remain when not called elsewhere for labor or other special or temporary purpose and to which you return in seasons of repose, there can only be one residence, a residence cannot be lost until another is gained, and the residence can be changed only by the union of act and intent.

  • North Dakota does not register voters. If you are an eligible resident of North Dakota, you are already set to vote.

  • North Dakota does not register voters. If you are an eligible resident of North Dakota, you are already set to vote.

  • North Dakota does not register voters. If you are an eligible resident of North Dakota, you are already set to vote.

Voting by Mail/Absentee/Ballot Drop-Off

  • Absentee ballots are available beginning September 29. Since all eligible citizens of North Dakota are automatically registered to vote, provisional ballots are not necessary. Not all counties in North Dakota allow early voting.

  • Yes. Please check that you have filled out all required fields and signed your ballot. USPS recommends you mail in your ballot a week before the deadline to ensure your ballot is received on time. However, please factor in your personal experience with mail delivery times to and from your place of residence or where you drop off your ballot.

  • The easiest way to request a mail ballot is online.

    Please note that Voter ID is required to request a ballot. If your address is not current, you may need to include a copy of supplemental documents to prove your residential address. Documents that may be used are: a current utility bill, a current bank statement, a check 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), a paycheck, 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). A federal, state, or local government may use the Supplemental Documentation form to provide the individual with the necessary information for voting. Tribal governments in North Dakota may use the appropriate form for supplemental documentation: Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation; Sisseton/Wahpeton Oyate; Spirit Lake Nation; Standing Rock Sioux Tribe; Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. Supplemental Documentation can be found here.

    Alternatively, you can download and print these forms. Once the application is filled out, you must submit it via mail, in person, by email, or fax to your local election office. Your election office can also give you a hard copy of the ballot application. Find your County Office here.

    For more information, see this document.

  • No.

  • Yes.

  • There is no deadline to request an absentee ballot in North Dakota, but it is recommended that you request one as soon as possible.

  • Absentee ballots are available beginning September 29.

  • You can have your ballot sent to a mailing address that is different from your residential address.

  • Yes.

  • Your ballot must be postmarked one day before Election Day (November 7). However, you should mail your ballot back as soon as possible.

  • Yes, every county should have at least one location where you can drop off your ballot instead of mailing it back in. To find yours, click the "County Drop Boxes" tab at this link.

  • You can designate anyone to be an agent to return your ballot. The agent must provide a signed, written authorization from the voter. However, the agent may not do so for more than four people. The form to complete can be found here.

  • No. Ballots may only be sent through USPS or dropped at a specified location.

  • No.

  • Yes. Your ballot will not be counted where the signature on the ballot does not match the signature on the ballot application. However, election officials are required by a court order to make an effort to contact you if there is an issue with the ballot before the ballot is not counted.

  • Yes, track your ballot online.

  • For questions about voting in North Dakota, call the North Dakota Secretary of State at: (701) 328-4146.

Voting In-Person

  • Find your polling place and hours by putting your address into the online search tool. Alternatively, you can go to this link and select the "County Polling Places" tab and see the addresses and hours for each precinct in your county.

  • No.

  • Yes, in some counties. To see those locations and the times they will be available, go to this link and select the "Early Voting Available Counties" tab.

  • Voters must provide a valid ID, which must include: name, current North Dakota address, and date of birth.

    Examples include: North Dakota driver’s license, non driver ID, or tribal ID.

    However, if an individual’s valid form of ID does not include a current North Dakota address, the individual may supplement the identification with: a current utility bill, current bank statement; check or a document issued by a federal, state, local, or tribal government (including those issued by Bureau of Indian Affairs 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), or a paycheck.

  • There are four ways to get a valid ID with an address:

    (1) the Department of Transportation (DOT) issues Non Driver IDs for free

    (2) the DOT also can issue a new driver's license, for a cost

    (3) if you have a valid ID with the wrong address, you can call the DOT at (701) 328-4353 or go online and you can update your address for free without having to get a new ID (this updates the voter record to show your current address)

    (4) you can get a new ID from your tribal government, at no cost.

    Alternatively, if you are not able to get a new ID or update your ID in time, you can bring supplemental documentation with you like a utility bill, bank statement, or paycheck that show your current address.

  • Since North Dakota does not have voter registration, provisional ballots are not necessary.

  • Yes. Under federal law (Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act), you are entitled to bring anyone you trust, such as a friend, family member, or neighbor, to the polling place AND into the polling booth to assist with voting. However, that person may not be your employer, running in the election, or a representative of your labor union. The person giving assistance also may not tell the voter how to vote.

  • If you have a question, problem, or concern, contact your County Auditor. You can also contact the Secretary of State’s Elections Unit at (701) 328-4146 or toll free at (800) 352-0867, option 6.