North Dakota

North Dakota’s minimum poll hours are from 9 AM to 7 PM.

Voters can find their polling location and hours by visiting: https://vip.sos.nd.gov/PortalListDetails.aspx?ptlhPKID=50&ptlPKID=7#content-start

How to Check Your Registration: Voters can determine whether they are registered to vote at the following link: .

You are eligible to vote in North Dakota if you:

• Are a U.S. citizen
• Are a resident of North Dakota
• Are at least 18 years old by Election Day
• Live in the precinct where you vote for at least 30 days prior to the election

You are NOT eligible to vote in North Dakota if:

• A judge has specifically ruled that you are not able to vote.
• You are in prison or jail for a felony conviction

Restorative Requirements

• If you have completed a felony prison sentence, even if you are still on parole or probation, then you are immediately eligible to register to vote.

In North Dakota, voters do not need to register to vote.

If You Want to Vote Absentee, requests may be made:

• In-Person
• By Mail
• Online

Absentee Ballots may be returned:

• In-Person
• By Mail

Only eight counties in North Dakota provide early in-person voting: 

• Burleigh, 
• Cass,
• Grand Forks,
• Morton,
• Sioux,
• Stark, 
• Stutsman, and 
• Ward.

Contact your relevant County Auditor for exact times and places.

Voters wanting to vote absentee or by mail must request an absentee ballot. Absentee ballots can be requested through an online application available at: https://vip.sos.nd.gov/absentee.

See the following link for a list of drop box locations for returning absentee ballots: vip.sos.nd.gov/Precincts.aspx?eid=313.

If returned by mail, a voter’s return envelope must be postmarked no later than the day before election day. If the voter cannot meet this deadline, they will need to go to their appropriate polling place on Election Day to cast a ballot.

Voter Registration

There is no voter registration in North Dakota.

Voting In-Person

You are required to show ID to vote; or, you may instead sign an affidavit or similar document. Accepted forms of ID include:

• Valid North Dakota Driver’s License
• Long Term Care ID Certificate
• Valid North Dakota Non-driver’s ID
• Valid Tribal ID

If address or date of birth information is incomplete, an individual may supplement the identification with a current utility bill; a current bank statement; a check or a document issued by a federal, state, local, or tribal government; or a paycheck. If you do not have one of the North Dakota valid IDs and need help getting ID, go to www.voteriders.org.

Voters will need to provide one of the following that contains a North Dakota residential address:

• North Dakota Driver’s license;
• North Dakota Nondriver’s identification card;
• Tribal government issued identification;  or
• Long-term care identification certificate provided by a North Dakota facility (if the voter does not have another form of identification listed above).

If the identification above does not have a current North Dakota residential address or DOB, voters can supplement their identification by providing: 

• Current utility bill;
• Current bank statement;
• A check or document issued by a governmental authority (including tribal);
• Paycheck; or
• Educational documents from an institution of higher education. 

If the voter is unable to provide supplemental identification, the voter can cast a “set aside” ballot. The voter will then have the opportunity to return to the polling place with proper identification or can go to a designated election office (ask a poll worker for the location) within six days of the election.

In order to vote in a precinct, the voter must be a resident within the same precinct for at least 30 days prior to any election.  If the voter has moved, the voter is entitled to vote in the precinct they moved from until they have established a new residence.

If the voter has moved within the same precinct: 

• If the voter has moved but stayed within the same precinct, continue to vote at the same location. Poll clerks will obtain your new address for an update in the poll book.

If the voter has moved to a different precinct but within the same county:

• The voter must vote at the prior precinct if they moved less than 30 days before Election Day.

If the voter has moved to a different election jurisdiction (typically county):

• The voter must vote at the prior precinct if they moved less than 30 days prior to Election Day.

If the voter has moved from a different state:

• If the voter has recently moved to North Dakota and has been a resident for less than 30 days, you may vote for president but no other offices in the election. In addition, voting for president will require the voter to:
  • (1) submit a sworn statement in the presence of the county auditor, the sworn statement is called an “application for presidential elector ballot”; and 
  • (2) mark the ballot in front of the county auditor (in a way that conceals who the voter chose) and then fold it, place it in an envelope, and write a certification on the outside. 

• Additionally, the voter is subject to all of the laws relating to absent voters’ ballots, except those superseded by those explicitly governing this situation. The voter should request an absentee ballot from the voter’s home state instead.

Voting Military

Service members and their dependents may register and request a ballot using the overseas voter registration/ballot request form (“FPCA”). You may include the following ID:

• U.S. Passport
• Valid Military ID
• Valid North Dakota Driver’s License
• Valid Tribal ID
• Long Term Care ID Certificate
• Valid North Dakota Non-driver’s ID

Voting Overseas

U.S. citizens living overseas may register and request a ballot using the overseas voter registration/ballot request form. You may include the following ID:

• U.S. Passport
• Valid North Dakota Driver’s License
• Valid Tribal ID
• Long Term Care ID Certificate
• Valid North Dakota Non-driver’s ID

Voters living abroad or serving in the military may vote by mail.  A voter may vote absentee for any reason. A voter may submit an application for an absentee ballot anytime within the calendar year of an election. 
Absentee ballots can be requested through an online application available at: https://vip.sos.nd.gov/absentee.

North Dakota permits people with felony convictions to vote as long as they are not currently serving a felony sentence of incarceration, including people who are on probation or on parole. Convicted felons lose their right to vote while sentenced to imprisonment, but this right is reinstated upon release.