North DakotaNorth Dakota bars approval voting and ranked-choice voting in elections
North Dakota law prohibits approval voting and ranked-choice voting in elections to choose or nominate candidates for local, state, or federal office.
What it does
Elections to choose or nominate public officials in North Dakota cannot use approval voting, which allows support for multiple candidates, or ranked-choice voting, which ranks candidates by preference.
Local governments cannot allow either voting method through their own ordinances. Conflicting ordinances are invalid, including those adopted under charters that give communities control over local matters.
Argument forThe statewide ban could help voters and election workers avoid conflicting local rules about whether these two voting methods are allowed.
Argument againstThe ban could limit how voters express candidate preferences and prevent communities from choosing either voting method.
More detail
North Dakota law prohibits approval voting and ranked-choice voting in elections to choose or nominate candidates for public office. The ban covers elections held in North Dakota for local, state, or federal office, including elections to nominate candidates. Approval voting lets voters support all candidates they approve of in a race. Candidates with the most votes fill the available seats. Ranked-choice voting lets voters rank candidates by preference. Ballots are counted in rounds that eliminate candidates until one receives a majority of votes.
The law makes local ordinances that conflict with the voting ban invalid. The rule applies to counties, cities, and other local governments. This rule includes ordinances adopted under home rule charters, which give local governments authority over local matters.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2025
- Apr 21Filed with Secretary Of State 04/16Latest
- Apr 18Signed by Governor Kelly Armstrong 04/16Became Law
- Apr 15Sent to GovernorTo Governor
- Apr 15Signed by Speaker
- Apr 14Signed by President
- Apr 9Returned to House
- Apr 8Second reading, passed, yeas 38 nays 8Passed Senate
- Vote recorded Motion for Final Passage on HB 1297. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 8Amendment failedMinor
- Apr 8Amendment proposed on floorMinor
- Apr 7Reported back, do pass, place on calendar 4 2 0Minor
- Mar 27Committee Hearing 03:30
- Mar 24Rereferred to State and Local Government
- Mar 24Request return from committee
- Feb 20Introduced, first reading, referred Judiciary CommitteeMinor
- Feb 19Received from House
- Feb 18Second reading, passed, yeas 75 nays 16Passed House
- Vote recorded Motion for Final Passage on HB 1297. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 17Reported back, do pass, place on calendar 6 4 4Minor
- Jan 30Committee Hearing 04:00
- Jan 30Committee Hearing 10:30
- Jan 13Introduced, first reading, referred Government and Veterans Affairs CommitteeIntroduced
Civil Rights & Voting