North Dakota has no voter registration.
Precincts in North Dakota maintain a list of voters who have voted in previous elections. When a voter approaches a polling location they are asked to provide an acceptable form of identification. Then the election board will attempt to locate the voter’s name on the voting list. If the voter’s name is on the list, the voter’s name and address are verified and the voter is then allowed to vote.
If the voter is not on the list, but an election worker knows the voter to be a qualified elector of the precinct the poll worker may vouch for the voter. The voter then has the right to vote.
If the voter is not on the list and no poll worker is able to vouch for them, the voter may be challenged. As part of the challenge, the voter is asked to sign an affidavit swearing to the fact that he or she is a qualified elector of the precinct and therefore qualified to vote in the precinct. If the voter agrees to sign the affidavit, the voter must be allowed to vote. If the voter refuses to sign the affidavit, the voter may be denied the right to vote.
In order to vote in the State of North Dakota, an individual must be:
- A U.S. citizen
- At least 18 years old on the day of an election
- A legal North Dakota resident
- A resident in the precinct for 30 days preceding the election
Absentee Voting:
To apply for an absentee ballot, an applicant must apply for an absent voter’s ballot on a form furnished by the proper officer of the county, city, or school district which the applicant is an elector, or on any blank containing the following information:
- the applicant’s name;
- the applicant’s current or most recent ND residential address;
- the applicant’s mailing address;
- the applicant’s current home telephone number;
- the election for which the ballot is being requested;
- the date of the request;
- an affirmation that the applicant has resided in the precinct for at least thirty days;
- the applicant’s signature.
In North Dakota, qualified electors are not required to provide a reason when requesting an application to vote absentee.
You can fill out an absentee ballot application and track your progress online. A copy of the absentee voting ballot can also be found online.
Applications for absentee ballots must be returned or postmarked to the appropriate county auditor or election official by mail, in person, or by fax by the day before the election.
Absentee ballots must be returned to your county election office and postmarked by the day before the election.
Some counties also offer early voting locations to vote in person during the 15 days before an election.
For more election and voter information you can contact the North Dakota Secretary of State’s Office.
