ND Poll

NDNC launches North Dakota Poll

The North Dakota News Cooperative (NDNC) developed a public opinion research service in 2023 that measures current attitudes and opinions on a variety of public policy and consumer issues. The North Dakota Poll (ND Poll) is the only regular, non-partisan statewide survey of eligible North Dakota voters and consumers.

“The ND Poll will be the most comprehensive, cost-effective and accurate polling ever conducted in the state of North Dakota,” said Steve Andrist, NDNC co-chair, upon the poll's creation in 2023. “We developed this new service to guide our own news coverage, but also want to make it available to others.”

The ND Poll serves as an “omnibus” survey designed to measure the views of North Dakotans on key public policy, economic and consumer issues affecting the state and nation. By sharing the common costs associated with conducting statewide polls, omnibus surveys provide a cost-effective way to scientifically survey the public.

Polling partners and methodology

When the North Dakota Poll launched in 2023, NDNC partnered with WPA Intelligence, a leading national provider of survey research, predictive analytics and data management technology, to assist in survey design, representative sampling, programming, fielding and data analysis.

In mid-2025, NDNC transitioned to Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy, Inc. following a thorough review of national polling firms. The change was made to ensure the continued credibility, neutrality and scientific integrity of the North Dakota Poll. Mason-Dixon was selected based on its long-standing reputation for methodological rigor and its nonpartisan approach to public opinion research.

“We conducted extensive research before making the change to Mason-Dixon,” said Sabrina Halvorson, CEO of the North Dakota News Cooperative. “It was important to us that our polling partner be widely respected for scientific accuracy and free from political leanings. Maintaining public trust in the independence of the North Dakota Poll was central to that decision.”

NDNC remains committed to working with polling partners that maintain strict professional standards and avoid political bias in survey design and execution.

How the North Dakota Poll is conducted

The North Dakota Poll is conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy, Inc. of Jacksonville, Florida, an independent national polling firm. Each survey includes approximately 625 North Dakota adult residents interviewed statewide by telephone using scientifically selected samples designed to represent the state’s population. Questions are developed to measure public opinion on key issues affecting North Dakotans, and results are reported with full transparency about methodology and sample composition.

Full poll results are available to subscribers by emailing poll@newscoopnd.org. While poll findings may be discussed publicly, full results are proprietary and may not be republished without express written consent from the North Dakota News Cooperative.

To become a subscriber, please click here. All subscriptions are free, in keeping with our mission to make news accessible to all North Dakotans.

Poll funding

Each North Dakota Poll costs approximately $12,500 to conduct. This investment supports independent, statewide public opinion research that helps inform reporting and improve public understanding of important issues affecting North Dakotans.

Support from donors makes this work possible. To help sustain the North Dakota Poll, please click here to donate.

Sponsorship opportunities are also available. If a poll is sponsored, the North Dakota News Cooperative provides full transparency to the public about that sponsorship. For more information on sponsorship, please email sabrina@newscoopnd.org.

The North Dakota News Cooperative, a non-profit news organization, provides diverse, reliable and independent reporting on issues and events that impact the lives of North Dakotans. It increases the public’s access to quality journalism and advances news literacy across the state.