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AARP AARP States North Dakota Voters

How to Vote in North Dakota's 2024 Elections

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Important dates and election information

Key dates

  • Republican presidential caucus: Monday, March 4, in-person voting only
  • Democratic presidential primary: Saturday, March 30, mail-in voting only
  • State primary: Tuesday, June 11
  • General election: Tuesday, Nov. 5

Voting at a glance

  • Absentee voting: North Dakota allows any eligible voter to request an absentee ballot and vote from home.
  • Early voting: County commissions decide whether to offer early in-person voting. Dates and times vary among counties and can be checked here.
  • Voting at the polls: Voting hours vary by county. To vote, bring an acceptable form of ID that includes your name, current North Dakota residential address and date of birth. If your ID doesn’t include your address, you can supplement it with another document.

Voting in North Dakota

What to know about recent changes

Voters with disabilities that may prevent them from independently marking an absentee ballot can request an electronic ballot from their county.

A federal judge recently ordered that a new map that alters the boundaries of certain state House and Senate districts be used for the 2024 elections. However, a lawsuit over those district lines is being appealed. Check the secretary of state’s polling place search tool to confirm your district and your voting location.

Voter registration

North Dakota does not require voter registration. Any eligible voter (U.S. citizens 18 and older who live in North Dakota and have lived in a specific precinct for at least 30 days) may vote if they provide acceptable identification. Options include a North Dakota driver’s license, North Dakota nondriver’s ID card, tribal government-issued ID or long-term care ID certificate.

Registering to vote on Election Day

North Dakota does not require voter registration.

Primary voting and party affiliation

Voters may only cast ballots for candidates from one political party in the primary. Voters in the state primary will see all candidates listed by political party in separate columns on their ballot. Since they can only vote in one party’s primary, they can only vote for candidates within that party’s column on the ballot.

North Dakota Ranks First In New Cases Per Capita

Ways to vote

Requesting and returning an absentee ballot


State primary

Any eligible voter in North Dakota may request an absentee ballot. The last day to request an absentee ballot in person is one day before the election, or Monday, June 10, for the state primary, but it must be returned in person the same day. Some counties mail an absentee ballot automatically. Check your voting information on the state’s polling place search.

Apply by mail or in person:

  • In person: Visit your county auditor's office. Mark and return your ballot while there, or take it home and return it by mail or in person. 
  • Fax or online: You can fax your absentee ballot application or attach a scanned copy to an email and send it to your county auditor’s office.

Someone else can pick up your absentee ballot for you if you submit an Agent Authorization request form, which also serves as your absentee ballot application. You can only act as an agent for up to four other voters per election.

Returning your state primary absentee ballot:

  • By mail: The return envelope must be postmarked with proper postage no later than Monday, June 10, which is the day before the election.
  • In person: Deliver your ballot to your county auditor’s office by 5 p.m. on Monday, June 10.
  • Drop box: Put your ballot in a drop box by 5 p.m. on Monday, June 10. Drop box locations will be listed at Vote.ND.Gov under the County Drop Boxes tab.

Use the state’s absentee/mail ballot tracker to check the status of your absentee ballot.

Democratic primary

Mail-in ballots can be requested here. Voters will be asked to sign a statement that says they will participate in the primary as a Democrat. Party officials recommend ballot requests be made by Friday, March 22, to allow enough time for ballots to be submitted by the deadline of Saturday, March 30, at 12 p.m.

Ballots can be returned:

  • By mail: Mail your ballot to ND Democratic-NPL, P.O. Box 9946, Fargo, ND 58106
  • In person: Return your ballot to the ND Democratic-NPL office, 1325 23rd Street South, Suite B, Fargo, ND 58103. Call the office at 701-225-0460 before you go to be sure someone will be there to receive the ballot.

Voting in person before Election Day 

County commissions decide whether to offer early in-person voting. Locations, dates and times will be available at Vote.ND.Gov closer to an election. Enter your state-issued ID number and date of birth or your address and zip code into the My Voting Information sidebar.

Voting at the polls on Election Day

Polling locations for the state primary cannot open earlier than 7 a.m. and must be open by 9 a.m. All polling locations must remain open until 7 p.m. and close no later than 9 p.m. Polling place voting hours are available online through the state’s polling place search. A voter who is in line when the polls close will be permitted to vote.

Voter ID requirements on Election Day

Bring an acceptable form of ID that must include your name, current North Dakota residential address and date of birth. A North Dakota driver’s license, North Dakota nondriver’s ID card, tribal-government-issued ID or long-term care ID certificate is acceptable. You can supplement the ID with another document, such as a current utility bill, current bank statement, paycheck or a check or document issued by a federal, state, local or tribal government, if your ID does not include your date of birth or North Dakota residential address, or if your address is not current.

Voting with a disability

Any voter can use the ExpressVote ballot marking device when voting in person. This device allows voters to use a touch screen and includes accessibility features. Voters can also ask a trusted friend to help mark their ballot or may request assistance from judges working at a polling location.

If voting absentee, please contact your county auditor to request to vote absentee using the ExpressVote machine.

Voters with disabilities that may prevent them from independently marking an absentee ballot can request an electronic ballot from their county. The ballot is delivered through a secure electronic portal and allows voters to use screen readers and other tools to independently fill out an absentee ballot and return the ballot through the secure online portal.

More information about candidates

Key races:

  • U.S. President
  • Governor
  • U.S. House: one seat
  • U.S. Senate: one seat
  • State House: 46 seats
  • State Senate: 23 seats

Sample ballots will be available at the secretary of state’s website.

Editor’s note: This guide was originally published Jan. 26, 2024, and has been updated new information about voting in the 2024 elections.

Maura Kelly Lannan is a writer, editor and producer for AARP who covers federal and state policy. She has worked as a reporter for the Associated Press, the Chicago Tribune and the Waterbury, Connecticut, Republican-American. She also has written for Bloomberg Government, The Boston Globe and other publications. 

Also of Interest:

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