• Voter Education

  • Elections shape North Dakota’s business climate—and by extension, our state’s long-term growth and competitiveness. Policies set at the Capitol influence workforce, infrastructure, and the overall environment in which businesses operate.

    A strong business community drives prosperity statewide. That’s why informed participation in elections matters.

    This page provides key dates, voting options, candidate and measure information, and GNDC positions to help you and your team engage with confidence this election season.

     

  • Plan Your Vote

    • The Greater North Dakota Chamber encourages everyone to verify their voting ID and ensure their address is current.
    • Make a plan for how and when you will vote.
      • Absentee
      • Early Voting
      • At the Polls on Election Day
    • Review key deadlines  that may impact your plan 
    • Confirm your polling location before Election Day.
    • Take time to understand the full ballot—candidates and measures.

  • Absentee Voting Absentee Voting

    How you can: You must request an absentee ballot by contacting your county auditor or filling out and printing the online ballot application form. 

    When you can: 

    September 24, 2026 - Absentee Begins
    November 2, 2026 - Absentee Application Submission Deadline
    November 3, 2026 - Absentee Ballots must be received by close of polls

    After your county auditor verifies your ID and ballot application information to ensure you meet voter qualifications, you will be mailed a ballot. Absentee ballots must be received by the close of polls on Election Day, and can be returned by mail, county drop box, or in person to your county auditor. They WILL NOT be accepted at polling locations on Election Day. 

    Special Note: If you submitted an absentee ballot application for the June Primary Election, you could choose which elections you wanted to receive an absentee ballot for during the calendar year. If you indicated that you want to receive a ballot for the November General Election, you will receive one at the beginning of October. 

    See additional information from the ND Secretary of State website - How Do I Vote. 

  • Early Voting Early Voting

    How you can: Some communities offer early voting at certain dates and times prior to Election Day.

    When voting in person, the poll worker at the polling location will review your ID and will ask three questions. These questions are a verbal acknowledgment that you are indeed eligible to vote in North Dakota. 

    1. Are you at least 18 years of age?
    2. Are you a U.S. citizen?
    3. Have you lived in North Dakota for the last 30 days? 


    When you can: 

    Dates and times vary. Check if your county offers early voting at Early Voting Available Counties.

    See additional information from the ND Secretary of State website - How Do I Vote. 

  • Election Day Election Day

    How you can: 

    • Once you check in at a polling location, your voter record is updated to show you have voted.

    When voting in person, the poll worker at the polling location will review your ID and will ask three questions. These questions are a verbal acknowledgment that you are indeed eligible to vote in North Dakota. 

    1. Are you at least 18 years of age?
    2. Are you a U.S. citizen?
    3. Have you lived in North Dakota for the last 30 days?


    When you can:

    • November 3, 2026 (General Election)

    See additional information from the ND Secretary of State website - How Do I Vote. 

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    How Employers Can Support Civic Participation

    Employers can help employees take part in elections by:

    • Offering flexible schedules or time off to vote
    • Sharing voting resources and important deadlines
    • Helping employees understand voter ID rules
    • Encouraging employees to make a plan to vote
    • Sharing information on candidate forums, ballot measures, and key issues affecting North Dakota's economy and business climate.

    See our Brass Tacks blog post: Elections: How Employers Can Engage


  • Candidate Information

    Candidate education matters because elected officials set the policies that shape North Dakota’s business climate. From workforce and taxation to infrastructure and regulation, the decisions made by legislators and statewide leaders directly influence the cost of doing business, the ability to grow, and the state’s long-term competitiveness.

     

     

     

    ND Chamber PAC 

    ND Chamber PAC-supported candidates are vetted based on their alignment with key business priorities, providing a clear view of which candidates are positioned to support policies that drive investment, job creation, and long-term economic success.

    📄 [View the list of candidates supported in the Primary Election here.]

     

    How They Voted

    At the conclusion of each legislative session, the Greater North Dakota Chamber produces a scorecard to show how members of the North Dakota Legislature vote on bills that are important for economic development and job creation. The most recent scorecard was based on thirty pieces of legislation that can affect the state’s jobs climate.

    📄 [View the full legislator scorecard here.]

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    Measure Information

    Ballot measures give North Dakota voters the opportunity to directly decide specific policy questions before they become law or constitutional changes. Measures can address issues ranging from taxes and regulation to government structure or operations.

    • A statutory measure proposes creating, changing, or repealing state law. These laws can later be amended by the Legislature.
    • A constitutional measure proposes changes to the North Dakota Constitution. Because constitutional amendments become part of the state’s governing framework, they are generally more permanent and require voter approval to change.

    Measures appear on the ballot after being referred by the Legislature or through the citizen petition process. Because these decisions can have long-term impacts on North Dakota understanding what each measure would do — and its potential impact on employers, employees, and communities — is an important part of informed civic participation.

     

  • Measure 1 Measure 1

    Constitutional Measure 1 – HCR 3003

    This measure is derived from House Concurrent Resolution 3003. Sponsors included Rep. Weisz, Rep. Bosch, Rep. Klemin, Rep. Lefor, Sen. Hogue, Sen. Myrdal, & Sen. Hogan. This passed in the House with 65 voting in favor, 28 opposed, and 1 not voting. On the Senate side it passed with 33 voting in favor, 13 opposed, and 1 not voting. 

     

    What it would do

    • 60% Threshold
      • This would change the threshold for approving a constitutional amendment from a simple majority to 60%
      • This would apply to both citizen-initiated ballot petitions and measures proposed by the Legislature.

    Our Position Our Position

    SUPPORT: 

    North Dakota’s Constitution is the foundation of our state laws, and changes to it should be approached with care and deliberation. A lasting change to our constitution should reflect broad consensus.

    In 2021, GNDC reviewed funding sources for select constitutional initiative sponsoring committees between 2012 and 2020. Of the funding reviewed, approximately 94% came from out-of-state, totaling $5.95 million, compared to $396,679 from in-state sources. Outside interests can help finance constitutional changes, but North Dakotans are the ones who live with the results.

    North Dakota’s Constitution has already been amended 168 times. By comparison, the United States Constitution has been amended only 27 times in our nation’s history. This contrast underscores the importance of preserving the integrity and stability of our state’s founding document. Constitutions are meant to endure — not be rewritten with every election cycle.

  • Measure 2 Measure 2

    Constitutional Measure 2 - School Lunches

    What It Would Do

    • Adds a new section to the Constitution related to funding of school lunches.
    • All public school districts, public schools, and public charter schools would be required to provide breakfast and lunch to students at no cost to the students or their parents or guardians.
      • Optional for nonpublic schools, Bureau of Indian Education schools, and other tribal schools.
    • Schools would be eligible for reimbursement from the state for the cost of each breakfast and lunch served if the school participated in federal school meal funding programs to the fullest extent possible and encouraged parents and guardians of students to apply for those programs.
    • The State would be required to reimburse each eligible school at the reimbursement rate published by USDA, annually adjusted for inflation, less any federal reimbursement.
    • The Legislature would be required to fund the reimbursements, appropriating funding from the Legacy Earnings Fund if another funding source could not be identified.
    • Would begin with the 2027-28 school year
    • DPI reported the following fiscal impact of the measure for the 2027-29 biennium:
      • $124 million to $134 million for the cost of free meals
      • $300,000 in administrative costs
    • Provisions of the measure would be severable, and any provision of the measure held invalid would not affect the remaining provisions.

    If this section conflicted with North Dakota law, this section would control.

  • The catalytic leader and unifying voice for economic prosperity throughout North Dakota.