Information on local, state and federal candidates and ballot measures may be available here. To see a list of available races, visit the race index.

Drop boxes are available in some counties across the state. Check with your county auditor to see if there is one available in your county. You can find your county auditor’s office here.

Early voting is available and no excuse is required. Please check with local county election officials for specific dates and times.

To be eligible to vote, you must be:

• A U.S. citizen
• At least 18 years old on Election Day
• A legal North Dakota resident
• A resident in the precinct for 30 days preceding the election

For the purposes of voting, a person may have only one residence, shown by an actual fixed permanent dwelling, or any other abode. Residency in North Dakota is defined as:

• Every person has a residence. It is the place where one remains when not called elsewhere for labor or other special or temporary purpose, and to which he or she returns in seasons of repose.
• There can be only one residence.
• A residence cannot be lost until another is gained.
• The residence can be changed only by the union of act and intent.

For a copy of the voter’s affidavit, please visit your state’s resource.

No registration is necessary, but you must have a valid form of identification to vote absentee or in person. North Dakota is the only state in the United States that does not require voter registration. In the primary election, voters will see all candidates listed by political party in separate columns. They may only vote in one party’s primary so they must remain within that party’s column on the ballot. All federal races and most state-wide races are designated by party and the top vote-getters in the primary move on to the general election in November to represent their party. County-wide races are nonpartisan and voters are able to choose one candidate per open seat in the primary election. The top two vote-getters per open seat in the primary move on to the November general election. For city-wide candidates, the primary election is the last stop. Whichever candidate wins in the primary will take their place in that elected office. City-wide races include races such as city commission or council, mayor, park board, school board, and municipal judge.

You will need to show a form of ID in order to vote. If you do not have an acceptable form of ID, you may still cast your ballot by signing a declaration or affidavit at the polls. Acceptable forms of identification must include, name, date of birth and your street address. P.O. Boxes do not establish residency and CANNOT be accepted. Acceptable forms of identification are:

• ND Driver’s license
• ND Non-driver’s ID card
• Tribal government issued ID card
• Long-term care ID certificate (provided by ND facility)

Find out more here. If you are voting absentee, acceptable forms of ID are:

• Any forms of ID listed above
• Passport or Military ID – Only for ND residents living outside the US who do not possess one of the other forms of ID
• Attester – an applicant without acceptable form of ID may use an attester. The attester must provide his or her name, ND drivers license, non-driver’s, or tribal ID number and sign the absentee/mail ballot application form to attest to the applicant’s ND residency and voting eligibility.

If you don’t have the acceptable form of ID, you can get one from your local Drivers License Center. Voters can call or text 844-338-8743 at any time to reach VoteRiders Voter ID Helpline

You are a Military or Overseas voter if you are in uniformed services, living overseas OR a spouse or dependent of a uniformed services voter. To get registered and vote, you can utilize Overseas Vote Foundation. If you have additional questions about elections and voting overseas you can use our state specific elections official directory or contact the Overseas Vote Foundation.

Most polls are open 7am- 7pm. Some polls may open earlier or close later. It is best to check with your local county election officials before Election Day.

You can find your polling place by utilizing your state resource. If you have further questions on your polling place location, please contact your county clerk.

North Dakota is the only state in the United States that does not require voter registration. In the primary election, voters will see all candidates listed by political party in separate columns. They may only vote in one party’s primary so they must remain within that party’s column on the ballot. All federal races and most state-wide races are designated by party and the top vote-getters in the primary move on to the general election in November to represent their party. County-wide races are nonpartisan and voters are able to choose one candidate per open seat in the primary election. The top two vote-getters per open seat in the primary move on to the November general election. For city-wide candidates, the primary election is the last stop. Whichever candidate wins in the primary will take their place in that elected office. City-wide races include races such as city commission or council, mayor, park board, school board, and municipal judge. If you have any questions about your state’s primary election, please contact your local election officials.

There is no need for provisional voting, since there is no voter registration process.

If you are a disabled voter you may be accompanied by, and receive assistance from, another person of your choice in the voting booth, unless the person is an employer, officer or agent of your union, a candidate running in that election, or a relative of a candidate. The polling place building should have several routes through it, and sufficient signs should be in place to direct you to the most accessible route to the polling location. For more information you can utilize the American Association of People With Disabilities (AAPD) resource.

The law encourages employers to provide time off to vote when an employee’s regular work schedule conflicts with the times polls are open. This policy however is voluntary.

North Dakota is the only state in the United States that does not require voter registration, but you must have a valid form of identification to vote absentee or in person. In the primary election, voters will see all candidates listed by political party in separate columns. They may only vote in one party’s primary so they must remain within that party’s column on the ballot. All federal races and most state-wide races are designated by party and the top vote-getters in the primary move on to the general election in November to represent their party. County-wide races are nonpartisan and voters are able to choose one candidate per open seat in the primary election. The top two vote-getters per open seat in the primary move on to the November general election. For city-wide candidates, the primary election is the last stop. Whichever candidate wins in the primary will take their place in that elected office. City-wide races include races such as city commission or council, mayor, park board, and municipal judge.  

The voting systems used in North Dakota are optical scan and DRE. Optical Scan: With this system, you will receive a card or sheet of paper, which you take over to a private table or booth. The card has the names of the various candidates and ballot measures printed on it. With a pen or pencil you fill in a little box or circle or the space between two arrows. When you are finished filling out all the cards, you may bring the cards over to a ballot box, where poll workers will show you how to put the cards in the box. Or in some places, you may feed the completed cards or papers into a computer device that checks your card or paper right there at the polling place to make sure you have voted the way you want to and counts the votes. Direct Recording Electronic (DRE): This is the newest kind of system in use in the U.S. All the information about who and what you are voting for is on an electronic screen like a TV or computer screen. There are many variations of DREs because lots of companies are inventing new ones, and many cities, counties and states are trying them out. Usually, after you have signed in, the poll workers will give you a card that you slide into a device to start your voting session. Some of these devices will show all of the candidates and ballot choices on one big screen. Often, with these big screen devices you push a button next to the name of the candidate you want to vote for (or yes or no on a ballot measure). On other DREs, the screen is set up to show pages. On each screen or page, there will probably be one thing to vote on. For example, on one screen or page, you might vote for president. Then you might move to the next page to vote for senator. Often these small-screen devices have a touch screen, where you touch the screen next to the name of the person you want to vote for. Other devices have a key pad. And some have a keyboard, so you can write in the name of someone you want to vote for. You let the system know you are finished voting by pushing a button, touching the screen or entering something on a keypad. You can learn more about voting systems by checking out the Elections Assistance Commission’s (EAC) resource.