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Get StartedNorth Dakota does not have voter registration. Any US citizens who have resided in one of the North Dakota precincts at least thirty days prior to the election can vote at the polling place or by absentee ballot if they can provide an acceptable form of identification.
North Dakota is the only US state without voter registration. The state abolished voter registration in 1951 in favor of a simpler system. In 2008, the state adopted an electronic database to make voter records more secure and easy to navigate.
North Dakota’s approach to voting is rooted in its rural and closely-knit communities and initially relied on an honor system. The establishment of small precincts aimed to ensure the polling place workers knew the precinct residents and would be able to identify those who were not eligible to vote.
Nowadays, the electronic system allows poll workers to verify the voters without knowing them personally. It also allows for voter record updates to be done regularly and efficiently. According to the Secretary of State, the state’s voting system reduces the cost of maintaining voter records and makes voting more straightforward and less restrictive.
All the voters in North Dakota are required to present a valid form of identification before receiving their ballot. The election official is then able to verify the voter’s eligibility by using a pollbook generated from the central voter file.
The central voter file is a centralized electronic database of voters maintained by the Secretary of State of North Dakota. Besides the Secretary of State, the central voter file is accessible to all county auditors in North Dakota who can use it to make updates to voter lists and generate voter information.
Whether a person votes at the polling station or by mail, their voter record is updated to reflect their voting history. At polling stations, electronic pollbooks called PollPads are used to check in voters. Once a voter is checked in at one polling place, their voting record is updated across all the PollPads in the state. This system prevents anyone from voting more than once in the election.
Several government departments are required to report any relevant updates that may affect the voter’s record to the Secretary of State. The Department of Transportation, for example, is responsible for reporting on residential address or mailing address changes, while the Department of Health and Human Services helps to update the records of deceased voters.
When a North Dakota resident moves from one precinct to another, they are able to update their residential address and have their voter record moved to the appropriate precinct’s voter list in the central voter file.
North Dakota residents that fit the following criteria are eligible to register to vote:
You can visit the Secretary of State’s website to check your voting information. If your voting information or your current voter ID does not reflect your current status, you may want to update them before the election.
If you have recently moved, you can update the address associated with your ID by filling out the application on the Department of Transportation website. To get a new ID with an updated address, you will need to call the Department of Transportation or make an appointment on their website.
Note: In-person early voting is sometimes referred to as 'in-person absentee', 'over-the-counter voting', 'assisted voting', or other similar titles. These are all essentially the same processes and will be discussed as one in this section.
For the upcoming {{ next_election_name }}, any registered voter may vote early in person.
In-person early voting may happen in a variety of locations like county election offices, city halls or municipal buildings, public libraries, schools, and community centers. It’s important to note that the availability of early voting can vary significantly by state or even county. They may also change from election to election, so be sure to check your early voting location before you head to the polls.
You can use BallotReady.org to make a plan to vote early and find a specific in-person early voting location, based on your address.
You may also be able to find information on in-person early voting on North Dakota’s Secretary of State website.
For the {{ next_election_name }}, the dates for in-person early voting are as follows:
Generally, in-person early voting in person begins 15 days before Election Day and ends 1 day before Election Day. However, it’s worth checking the specific early voting dates for upcoming elections, as these dates can change or differ for local elections.
According to North Dakota’s Secretary of State page, you must present one of the following forms of ID at a polling place on Election Day to comply with North Dakota’s voter ID laws:
It’s extremely important to have the appropriate ID when you go to your polling place to vote. However, if you’re not able to present one of the required forms of identification, ask a poll worker about what options you have to vote via provisional ballot.
A provisional ballot gives you the opportunity to vote when your voter registration is not able to be verified. After Election Day, election officials will attempt to verify that you voted in the correct district. This option is only recommended in exceptional circumstances – for example, you forgot your voter ID and you won’t be able to make it back to your polling place before it closes.
Election Day voting hours are 9AM - 7PM at all polling places statewide in North Dakota.
The Help America Vote Act of 2002 states that election officials conducting federal elections must ensure that each polling place has at least one accessible voting system for individuals with disabilities. This system should provide the same level of privacy and independence as those available to other voters.
Plan ahead by getting in touch with an election authority at the state, county, or municipal level to learn more about what specific accommodations are available at your polling place.
For voters in North Dakota, you can find more information on this page from Disability Rights of North Dakota.
According to the North Dakota Secretary of State, all registered North Dakota voters may vote by mail.
If you change your mind about voting by mail, you can still vote in person.
North Dakota requires voters to pay for their own postage when mailing back their ballot.
You can track your ballot by visiting North Dakota’s ballot tracker on this site.
If you make a plan to vote on BallotReady.org, you’ll receive information regarding:
In some states, absentee voting information can be different based on where you’re located. In our Civic Center, you’ll learn more about how to vote absentee based on your address.
Voter Resources | North Dakota Secretary of State. Accessed July 22, 2024.
Voter Registration | State of North Dakota. Accessed July 22, 2024.
How Do I Vote | North Dakota Secretary of State. Accessed July 31, 2024.
MIT Election Data + Science Lab. Accessed August 1, 2024.
State Poll Opening and Closing Times. Accessed August 7, 2024.
ID Required for Voting | North Dakota Secretary of State. Accessed August 7, 2024.
Disability Rights of North Dakota. Accessed August 7, 2024.
Absentee/Mail Ballot Search | North Dakota Secretary of State. Accessed August 8, 2024.
Absentee Voting | North Dakota Secretary of State. Accessed August 8, 2024.
Democracy Maps. Accessed August 8, 2024.
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View your personalized ballot, check your voter registration, make a plan to vote, and research every name and measure on the ballot with BallotReady.