New Census Means North Dakota Initiatives, and Some Candidates, Need More Support

North Dakota is the only state that has no voter registration. North Dakota’s election law says indications of voter support for initiatives and for some candidates depend on how many people live in the state, instead of how many registered voters there are in the state. For example, candidates running in a primary for state legislature need the support of 1% of the population of that district (this covers both petitions to get on a primary ballot, and also the minimum number of votes needed in the primary for the candidate to advance to the November ballot).

Initiative petitions need the signatures of 2% of the state’s population.

Because the 2010 census shows that North Dakota’s population increased 4.7% compared to 2000, all those election law numerical requirements will now rise 4.7%, for the period covering the next ten years. North Dakota’s Secretary of State says the increase applies immediately, even to initiatives that are currently circulating.


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