Do you need a reason to vote absentee in North Dakota?
As Election Day approaches, here’s what North Dakota voters should know about requesting and returning an absentee ballot.
No.
North Dakota is a “no-excuse” absentee-voting state, meaning any qualified elector may request an absentee ballot without explaining why they cannot vote in person.
State law says any qualified elector may vote an absentee ballot in a general, special, primary, county, city or school district election.
Voters must apply for a ballot. The application asks for the voter’s name, North Dakota residential address, mailing address and required identification information. The voter must sign the application and return it to the appropriate election official.
Election officials verify the voter’s eligibility and identification before mailing the ballot.
For the Nov. 3 general election, absentee voting begins Sept. 24.
An absentee ballot may be returned by mail, delivered to the county auditor or placed in an authorized county drop box. It must reach the appropriate election official by the close of polls on Election Day to be counted.
Absentee ballots are not accepted at polling locations on Election Day.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources:
- North Dakota Century Code, Chapter 16.1-07: Absent voters’ ballots and absentee voting
- North Dakota Secretary of State: Absentee voting
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