Election Day is Tuesday, November 5 and the Bismarck Documenters program wants to help you make important decisions at the voting booth with this election guide. Whether you vote early or on Election Day, we encourage you to take a few minutes and read about what will be on your ballot and where to vote.
This year, North Dakotans will not only decide on the next United States president but also their next governor, state senator and state representative. North Dakotans will vote on whether to eliminate the current property tax system and whether to legalize recreational marijuana. Bismarck and Mandan voters will decide whether to increase local sales taxes. Burleigh County voters will decide a county commission race. There are three contested races for seats in the state Legislature in the Bismarck-Mandan area, eight statewide races, five statewide ballot measures, races for seats on the Burleigh and Morton County commissions, and local ballot measures in Bismarck and Morton County.
In this guide you can find out what county, statewide, legislative and judicial candidate races are on the general election ballot in all of North Dakota. We recommend the most comprehensive guide on the Secretary of State’s website.
North Dakota Measures
Here is a brief summary of the initiated and constitutional measures on the ballot.
Measure 1: A constitutional question that would change outdated terminology that describes public institutions in North Dakota.
Measure 2: A constitutional measure that would require initiated measures to be limited to one subject; require that measure sponsors be qualified electors; and it could also require voters to approve measures in two separate elections.
Measure 3: A constitutional measure that would decrease the amount of principal that the state could spend from the Legacy Fund.
Measure 4: An initiated measure that would eliminate property taxes.
Measure 5: An initiated measure that would legalize marijuana, allowing the production, processing and sale of cannabis for those 21 and older.
Voter Registration
North Dakota is the only state that does not have voter registration. To vote, people must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen, and a North Dakota resident for at least 30 days.
Where to Vote
If you are unaware of what district you live in and where to vote, you can find that on this map. Click here to enlarge the map:
North Dakota 2024 legislative districts as listed on the Secretary of State website
Early Voting
Voting booths open this week around the state. Early voting in Burleigh County is at the Bismarck Event Center, 315 S. Fifth St., Bismarck. In Morton County early voting is at the Morton Mandan Public Library, 609 W. Main St., Mandan.
Burleigh County’s early voting schedule:
- Oct. 24: Noon to 5:30 p.m.
- Oct. 25: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Oct. 26: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Oct. 28: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Oct. 29: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Oct. 30: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Oct. 31: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Nov. 1: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Nov. 2: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Nov. 4: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Morton County’s early voting schedule:
- Oct. 23: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Oct. 24: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Oct. 25: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Oct. 26: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Oct. 28: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Oct. 29: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Oct. 30: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Oct. 31: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Nov. 1: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Nov. 2: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Nov. 4: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Polling Sites and Hours
On Election Day, voting hours in Burleigh and Morton counties are from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Polling sites and times for all 53 counties in the state can be found here.
In order to vote you will need a valid form of photo identification. Valid forms of ID include a driver’s license, a non-driver ID, a tribal ID, a tribal letter or a long-term care certificate. More information on types of IDs can be found here.
Polling sites for Fort Berthold, Standing Rock, Spirit Lake and Turtle Mountain reservations can be found on this page.
Other Guides
There are several informative guides to this year’s election. One comes from the League of Women Voters’ Vote 411 website that includes everything from finding out where to vote to a translation guide for Arabic and Somali languages and how to volunteer to become an election observer. Another is the Secretary of State Office’s website. Burleigh County and Morton County websites also have thorough information on how and where to vote. For information on absentee voting, find that here.
The Bismarck Documenters and Buffalo’s Fire encourage you to make a plan and vote on Tuesday, November 5. Your vote matters.
References:
Standaert, M. (2024, October 3). Poll: most 2024 north dakota ballot measures appear too close to call. North Dakota News Cooperative. Retrieved from https://www.newscoopnd.org/poll-most-2024-north-dakota-ballot-measures-appear-too-close-to-call/.
Measures on ballot. Secretary of State | North Dakota. (n.d.). https://www.sos.nd.gov/elections/voter/ballot-measures/measures-ballot
2024 General Election Contest/Candidate List. 2024 General Election contest/candidate list. (n.d.). https://vip.sos.nd.gov/candidatelist.aspx?eid=333
2024 General Election Contest/Candidate List. 2024 General Election contest/candidate list. (n.d.). https://vip.sos.nd.gov/candidatelist.aspx?eid=333
Voting as a North Dakota Tribal Member. Secretary of State | North Dakota. (n.d.-b). https://www.sos.nd.gov/sites/www/files/documents/elections/voting-flyers/tribal-vote-flyer.pdf
Polling sites - general election. North Dakota Native Vote. (2024, October 11). https://ndnativevote.org/programs/2024-election/north-dakota-general-election/polling-sites-general-election/
Election observation: League of women voters of North Dakota. LWVND. (2024). https://www.lwvnd.org/election-observation
