Ballot access requirements for political parties in North Dakota
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Note: This article is not intended to serve as a guide to running for public office. Individuals should contact their state election agencies for further information.
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Although there are hundreds of political parties in the United States, only certain parties qualify to have the names of their candidates for office printed on election ballots. In order to qualify for ballot placement, a party must meet certain requirements that vary from state to state. For example, in some states, a party may have to file a petition in order to qualify for ballot placement. In other states, a party must organize around a candidate for a specific office; that candidate must, in turn, win a percentage of the vote in order for the party to be granted ballot status. In still other states, an aspiring political party must register a certain number of voters.
To learn more about ballot access requirements for political candidates in North Dakota, see this article.
Process for a political party to obtain ballot status
See statutes: Section 16.1-11-30 of the North Dakota Century Code
In North Dakota, a political party may nominate statewide and legislative candidates to the consolidated primary ballot once it has:[1][2]
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1. Organized according to all requirements of [chapter 16.1-03]; 2. Had printed on the ballot at the last preceding general election the names of a set of presidential electors pledged to the election of the party's candidate for president and vice president, a candidate for governor, a candidate for attorney general, or a candidate for secretary of state and those candidates for presidential electors, governor, attorney general, or secretary of state received at least five percent of the total vote cast for presidential electors, the office of governor, attorney general, or secretary of state within this state at that election and organized according to all requirements of this chapter; or 3. Filed a petition with the secretary of state signed by the number of electors required under section 16.1-11-30 to qualify to endorse candidates or to have candidates petition to be included on the primary election ballot in a consolidated column or on a special election ballot.[3] |
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According to section 16.1-11-30, any political organization that has not organized under chapter 16.1-03 or did not receive at least 5% of the vote for presidential electors, governor, attorney general, or secretary of state at the preceding general election is "entitled to endorse candidates or have candidates petition to be included on the primary ballot in a separate section of the consolidated primary election ballot, if a petition signed by at least seven thousand qualified electors of this state is filed with the secretary of state[.]" In order to qualify for such ballot access, the political organization must file a petition with the secretary of state before 4:00 p.m. on the 64th day prior to the primary election. This petition must include the name of the political organization, the party's platform principles, and the names of candidates to be included on the state's primary ballot. The petition must be signed by 7,000 qualified state electors.[1][4]
Maintaining party status
To maintain qualified status, a party must have fielded a candidate who won at least 5% of the vote for one of the following offices at the most recent election for such office: president, governor, secretary of state, or attorney general. Otherwise, the party must re-petition for ballot access.[5]
Political parties
As of May 2024, there were two recognized political parties in North Dakota. These are listed in the table below. [6]
| Party | Website link | By-laws/platform link |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic-Nonpartisan League Party of North Dakota | Link | Party platform |
| Republican Party of North Dakota | Link | Party platform |
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See also
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in North Dakota
- Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in North Dakota
- List of political parties in the United States
- Democratic-Nonpartisan League Party of North Dakota
- Republican Party of North Dakota
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 North Dakota Legislative Branch, "North Dakota Century Code Section 16.1-11-30," accessed July 10, 2025
- ↑ North Dakota Legislative Branch, "North Dakota Century Code Section 16.1-03-21," accessed July 10, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ North Dakota State Government, "Petition to establish a political party," accessed July 10, 2025
- ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "Libertarian Party Approved for 2024 Ballot Access," March 21, 2024
- ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "Established Political Parties in North Dakota," accessed May 15, 2024
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