Election Day is fast approaching, and North Dakota Secretary of State Michael Howe says elections in North Dakota are as effective and secure as ever.
Howe says North Dakota has been dealing with election integrity since “before it was cool,” well before the 2020 election – and there are a number of ways people can participate in this year’s Presidential Election.
Howe says state law allows counties to offer early voting for two weeks leading up to the election. He also says there are counties that have a lot of participation in vote by mail, or absentee voting.
"If you're a vote by mail county, which there are 36 - your county commission made the decision to automatically mail you an absentee ballot application. If you're an absentee county, those 17 other counties, it is on you the voters to request an absentee application from the county. In both cases, you need to fill out the application with your voter identification number on that application, and only upon verification of your identity on that application will then the county election official mail you a ballot to fill out, which you can put into the mail to send it back, or drop it off at a county office."
Howe says September 26th is when counties will begin sending out absentee ballots, and those ballots need to turned in by 5pm on November 4th – the day before the election. Howe says between 35 and 40 percent of voters in North Dakota vote early.
North Dakota does not have voter registration, but voters must present a valid ID – which could be a North Dakota driver’s license, a non-driver’s ID, a tribal ID or tribal letter, or a long-term care certificate. Howe says if no identification is presented at the polls, a voter can still fill out a ballot to be set aside. That voter then needs to return to their county voting official with the proper identification within 13 days in order for that vote to be counted.