Student Voting Project | North Dakota

Voting at School

ID Requirements

At the polls, you will be asked to show identification with youraddress on it. Valid forms of ID are: a North Dakota driver's licenseor non-driver's ID card; a U.S. passport; an ID card from a federalagency; an ID card issued by a tribal government; a valid student ID; amilitary ID card; a utility bill dated within thirty days of ElectionDay, including cell phone bills and student housing bills (onlineprintouts are okay); and a change of address verification letter fromthe U.S. Post Office.

Even if you don't have ID, if a poll worker knows you, they can vouchfor you if you supply your date of birth. Otherwise, you can swear outa Voter's Affidavit (described above) and still vote.

All voters are asked for ID at the polls, but if you're unable to showID you can sign an affidavit and still cast a regular ballot.

Registration Requirements

North Dakota is the only state in the nation that does not have voter registration. You simply need to show up at the polls or apply for an absentee ballot and comply with the ID requirements described below.

Residency Requirements

Students in North Dakota who intend to make their college towns their residence and do not intend to return back home after school should be able to establish residency and vote in North Dakota. The North Dakota Constitution requires voters to be residents of the state, and the state's law requires that you reside in the precinct where you wish to vote.

Students who lived in North Dakota before moving elsewhere to attend school, and who wish to establish or keep their North Dakota voting residency (i.e., at their parents' North Dakota address), should have no problem doing so unless they've already registered to vote in another state. Like all states, North Dakota allows students to keep their voting residency even if they move out of the district to attend school, and the only way you might lose this residency is by establishing residency in a new state. While registering to vote in another state is not automatically considered an abandonment of your North Dakota residency, some judges or officials might view it as such.

Challenges to Residency

Your voting eligibility can be challenged at the polls by poll workers or by partisan challengers. Even if your residency is challenged, you can still swear out an affidavit and vote

Absentee Requirement

All voters are allowed to vote absentee in North Dakota. There is no deadline for applying for a ballot, but you must apply early enough so that you can receive, complete, and mail the absentee ballot back to the county auditor's office in time. Blank applications are available on the web site of the Secretary of State. If you mail it in, the absentee ballot must be postmarked by the day before the election. Neither your application nor your ballot need to be witnessed.

Voting at Home

ID Requirements

At the polls, you will be asked to show identification with your address on it. Valid forms of ID are: a North Dakota driver's license or non-driver's ID card; a U.S. passport; an ID card from a federal agency; an ID card issued by a tribal government; a valid student ID; a military ID card; a utility bill dated within thirty days of Election Day, including cell phone bills and student housing bills (online printouts are okay); and a change of address verification letter from the U.S. Post Office.

Even if you don't have ID, if a poll worker knows you, they can vouch for you if you supply your date of birth. Otherwise, you can swear out a Voter's Affidavit (described above) and still vote.

All voters are asked for ID at the polls, but if you're unable to showID you can sign an affidavit and still cast a regular ballot.

Registration Requirements

North Dakota is the only state in the nation that does not have voter registration. You simply need to show up at the polls or apply for an absentee ballot and comply with the ID requirements described below.

Residency Requirements

Students in North Dakota who intend to make their college towns their residence and do not intend to return back home after school should be able to establish residency and vote in North Dakota. The North Dakota Constitution requires voters to be residents of the state, and the state's law requires that you reside in the precinct where you wish to vote.

Students who lived in North Dakota before moving elsewhere to attend school, and who wish to establish or keep their North Dakota voting residency (i.e., at their parents' North Dakota address), should have no problem doing so unless they've already registered to vote in another state. Like all states, North Dakota allows students to keep their voting residency even if they move out of the district to attend school, and the only way you might lose this residency is by establishing residency in a new state. While registering to vote in another state is not automatically considered an abandonment of your North Dakota residency, some judges or officials might view it as such.

Challenges to Residency

Your voting eligibility can be challenged at the polls by poll workers or by partisan challengers. Even if your residency is challenged, you can still swear out an affidavit and vote

Absentee Requirement

All voters are allowed to vote absentee in North Dakota. There is no deadline for applying for a ballot, but you must apply early enough so that you can receive, complete, and mail the absentee ballot back to the county auditor's office in time. Blank applications are available on the web site of the Secretary of State. If you mail it in, the absentee ballot must be postmarked by the day before the election. Neither your application nor your ballot need to be witnessed.

[1] 1971 Op. Atty. Gen. N.D. No. 71-143 (1971 N.D. AG LEXIS 11).

[2] N.D. Const. Art. II, § 1.

[3] N.D. Cent. Code § 16.1-01-04(1).

[4] N.D. Cent. Code § 16.1-05-06(2) (2008).

[5] N.D. Cent. Code § 16.1-05-06(4) (2008)..

[6] http://www.nd.gov/hava/education/doc/id-requirements.pdf; Interview with Leann Oliver (Apr. 16, 2008).

[7] N.D. Cent. Code § 16.1-05-07.

[8] N.D. Cent. Code § 16.1-07-01.

[9] N.D. Cent. Code § 16.1-07-05.

[10] N.D. Cent. Code § 16.1-07-09.