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North Dakota 2014 ballot measures
Nine ballot measures were certified for 2014 ballots in the state of North Dakota, one on the June 10, 2014, primary ballot and eight on the November 4, 2014, general election ballot. Of the nine, only two were approved, thereby shortening the circulation period for initiated petitions and banning property transfer taxes, while the remaining seven were defeated.
There were five legislatively referred constitutional amendments and four initiated state statutes certified for 2014 ballots. There was no regular 2014 legislative session in North Dakota, as state law mandates 80 legislative days in two years. According to Section 16 of Article IV of the North Dakota Constitution, the legislature must approve a bill by a simple majority in order to place the measure on the ballot.
Supporters of the initiatives needed to collect at least 26,904 valid signatures for amendments and 13,452 valid signatures for statutes by the August 6, 2014, filing deadline in order to put the measures before voters.
Issues that appeared on the ballot included:
Historical facts
North Dakota celebrated the state’s century old tradition of initiative and referendum in 2014. In 1914, North Dakotans approved the Initiated Constitutional Amendment Referendum, which created a process for initiated constitutional amendments, and the Initiative Statute Amendment Referendum, which created a process for initiated state statutes.
- Between 1988 and 2013, an average of six measures have appeared annually on the ballot in North Dakota. Therefore, 2014 was an above-average year based on the number of certified measures.
- From 1988 to 2014, the number of measures on a state-wide ballot has ranged from two to 15.
- Between 1988 and 2014, 47 of 100, or 47 percent, of North Dakota ballot measures have been approved by voters; therefore, 2014's approval rate of only 22 percent was well below average.
- Conversely, 53 of 100, or 53 percent, of measures have been defeated since 1988.
On the ballot
- See also: 2014 ballot measures
June 10:
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LRCA | Measure 1 | Direct Democracy | Moves the filing deadline up for initiated petitions from 90 to 120 days before a statewide election |  |
November 4:
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LRCA | Measure 1 | Abortion | Declares in the state constitution that life begins at conception | 
|
| LRCA | Measure 2 | Taxes | Prevents the state from imposing mortgage, sales or transfer taxes on the mortgage or transfer of real property |
|
| LRCA | Measure 3 | Education | Abolishes elected State Board of Higher Education and replaces it with appointed Commission of Higher Education |
|
| LRCA | Measure 4 | Direct Democracy | Requires measures that have significant fiscal impacts on the state to be voted on at a general election |
|
| CICA | Measure 5 | Taxes | Redirects some of the state's oil tax revenues to conservation efforts |
|
| CISS | Measure 6 | Divorce & Custody | Creates a legal presumption that each parent is a fit parent and entitled to be awarded equal parental rights by a court |
|
| CISS | Measure 7 | Business | Removes requirement that majority ownership in a pharmacy be held by a registered pharmacist |
|
| CISS | Measure 8 | Education | Mandates that school classes begin after Labor Day |
|
Not on the ballot
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CISS | Property Tax Reform Initiative | Taxes | Modifies standards for collecting property taxes, requires baseline budgeting for political subdivisions, establishes property tax credit fund and consolidates tax levies | 
|
| CICA | University Nickname Amendment | Motto and symbols | Allows for the University of North Dakota to use the "Fighting Sioux" nickname |
|
| CICA | Direct Democracy Protection Initiative | Direct democracy | Prevents the legislature from amending Article III of the state constitution |
|
| CICA | Property Tax Abolishment Initiative | Taxes | Requires the legislature to replace local governments' property tax income with state tax revenue |
|
| LRCA | Voter Identification Amendment | Elections | Requires a valid photo ID in order to vote |
|
| LRCA | Direct Payments to Residents Amendment | Gov't spending | Relates to constitutional authorization for the legislature to provide direct payments to North Dakota residents |
|
| VR | Abortion Restrictions Referendum (3) | Abortion | Allows public votes on newly passed restrictions on when abortions may be performed |
|
See also
- 2014 ballot measures
- List of North Dakota ballot measures
- History of Initiative & Referendum in North Dakota
- North Dakota signature requirements
Additional reading
External links
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State of North Dakota Bismarck (capital) |
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