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North Dakota 2026 ballot measures
As of January 4, 2026, three statewide ballot measures were certified for the ballot in North Dakota in 2026.
On the ballot
June 9, 2026:
| Type | Title | Subject | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-Subject Requirement for Constitutional Amendments Measure | Initiative process; Ballot measures | Create a single-subject requirement for initiated constitutional amendments and legislatively referred constitutional amendments in North Dakota |
November 3, 2026:
| Type | Title | Subject | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60% Vote Requirement for Constitutional Amendments Measure | Supermajority; Initiative process; Ballot measures | Require constitutional amendments to receive a 60% supermajority vote to be adopted | |
| State Legislative Term Limits Amendment | Term limits | Establish term limits for state legislators of four complete four-year terms in the state legislature regardless of chamber; provide that a term that is less than four-years does not count toward the term limit; repeal the constitutional provision established by Constitutional Measure 1 of 2022 which provided that term limits could only be amended or repealed by initiative petition and not by the state legislature |
Potential measures
| Name | Type | Subject | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota Free School Meals Initiative (2026) | Public education funding | Require public schools to provide one free breakfast and one free lunch to students | |
| North Dakota Remove Restrictions on Vehicle Window Tinting Initiative (2026) | Vehicles | Remove the restriction prohibiting windshield tints |
Getting measures on the ballot
North Dakota allows citizen-initiated measures in the form of initiated state statutes, initiated constitutional amendments, and veto referendums. The completed petition must be submitted at least 120 days prior to the election. Each initiative has its own unique deadline of one year after it was approved to circulate.
Since North Dakota does not have a voter registration system, the number of signatures required is tied to the population reported by the last decennial census. For statutes and veto referendums, the number of signatures required is 2% of the population. For constitutional amendments, it is 4% of the population. The requirement for 2026 is 15,582 signatures for initiated state statutes and veto referendums and 31,164 signatures for initiated constitutional amendments. Each initiative petition may circulate for one year after it is approved for circulation. All signatures must be submitted by July 6, 2026.
The North Dakota Legislature has the power to place constitutional amendments on the ballot when a majority of members in each house of the legislature approve the amendment. Once on the ballot, the amendment must be approved by a simple majority of the electors. The legislature only convenes legislative sessions during odd-numbered years.
Historical facts
- See also: List of North Dakota ballot measures
North Dakota statewide ballot measures
In North Dakota, a total of 135 ballot measures appeared on statewide ballots between 1986 and 2024. A total of 63 ballot measures were approved, and 72 ballot measures were defeated.
| North Dakota statewide ballot measures, 1986-2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number | Annual average | Annual minimum | Annual maximum | Approved | Defeated | ||
| # | % | # | % | ||||
Ballot initiative certification rates
The following table shows the rate of certification for ballot initiatives in North Dakota between 2010 and 2024:
State profile
| Demographic data for North Dakota | ||
|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 756,835 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 69,001 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 88.7% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 1.6% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1.2% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 5.3% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.2% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 2.9% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 91.7% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 27.7% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $57,181 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 12.2% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in North Dakota. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
North Dakota voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, four are located in North Dakota, accounting for 1.94 percent of the total pivot counties.[1]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. North Dakota had three Retained Pivot Counties, 1.66 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.
More North Dakota coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in North Dakota
- United States congressional delegations from North Dakota
- Public policy in North Dakota
- Endorsers in North Dakota
- North Dakota fact checks
- More...
Not on the ballot
| Name | Type | Subject | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota Prohibit Lottery or Game of Chance Proceeds from Financing Candidate or Ballot Measure Campaigns Amendment (2026) | Campaign finance | Prohibit using proceeds from games of chance, lotteries, or similar activities to support or influence political campaigns, candidates for office, ballot measures, or political organizations |
See also
- 2026 ballot measures
- List of North Dakota ballot measures
- Laws governing the initiative process in North Dakota
- North Dakota Legislature
Footnotes
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
