Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
North Dakota state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: N/A (no formal registration process)
- Early voting: Sept. 27 - Nov. 5
- Absentee voting deadline: Postmark Nov. 5
- Online registration: N/A
- Same-day registration: N/A
- Voter ID: ID required
- Poll times: Varies according to the size of the precinct
| 2018 North Dakota State Legislature elections | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General | November 6, 2018 |
| Primary | June 12, 2018 |
| 2018 elections | |
|---|---|
| Choose a chamber below: | |
The Democratic primary elections for the seats in the North Dakota State Senate and the North Dakota House of Representatives were on June 12, 2018. For information about the Republican primary elections in North Dakota, click here.
The general election was on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was April 9, 2018. In the state Senate, 24 of 47 seats were up for election. In the state House, 48 of 94 seats were up for election.
Incumbents who did not advance to the general election
Retiring incumbents
One Democratic state Senate incumbent did not file for re-election.
- Carolyn Nelson (District 21)
Two Democratic state House incumbents did not file for re-election.
- Kathy Hogan (District 21)
- Lois Delmore (District 43)
Incumbents defeated
No incumbents were defeated in 2018.
Competitiveness
Like 2016, there were no contested Democratic primaries. There was only one contested Democratic primary in 2014. The number of contested Republican was slightly higher, rising from four in 2016 to six in 2018.
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Total candidates | Democratic primaries contested | Republican primaries contested | Total contested | Incumbents contested in primaries | Total incumbents contested in primaries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 72 | 12 | 134 | 0 | 6 | 6.3% | 6 | 10.0% |
| 2016 | 70 | 15 | 141 | 0 | 4 | 2.9% | 7 | 12.7% |
| 2014 | 72 | 13 | 127 | 1 | 3 | 3.6% | 4 | 6.8% |
Partisan control
The tables below show the partisan breakdowns of the North Dakota House of Representatives and North Dakota State Senate as of June 2018:
North Dakota House of Representatives
| Party | As of June 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 13 | |
| Republican Party | 81 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 94 | |
North Dakota State Senate
| Party | As of June 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 9 | |
| Republican Party | 38 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 47 | |
Battleground races
Ballotpedia identified battleground races in the 2018 North Dakota state legislative Republican primary elections. These primaries had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could have led to changes in the membership of the Republican caucus or had an impact on general election races.
To determine the North Dakota state legislative Republican primary battleground races in 2018, Ballotpedia examined races that fit one or more of the three factors listed below:
- Identified by the media as a notable primary election.
- One or more of the candidates received a notable endorsement.
- The primary was known to be competitive based on past results or because it was a rematch of a primary that was competitive in the past.
Media coverage
This section provides an overview of media reactions to the North Dakota state legislative Republican primaries.[1] Selected articles are presented as a jumping-off point for deeper exploration of media coverage and as an overview of narratives that have emerged surrounding the elections.
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. A primary election is also sometimes used to choose convention delegates and party leaders; however, these selection processes can vary from state to state and party to party within a state. In North Dakota, precinct, district, and state party officials are selected at party caucuses and conventions, not at the state-administered primary election. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. North Dakota utilizes an open primary system, in which voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[2][3]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In North Dakota, voting hours at polling locations vary by county. According to statute, all polls must open between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. local time, and they must close between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. North Dakota is divided between the Central and Mountain time zones. Hours for specific polling places are available online through the state's Polling Place Search. A voter who is standing in line at the time the polls close will be allowed to vote.[4][5]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter information here.
North Dakota is the only state that does not require voter registration.[6][7]
| “ | Although North Dakota was one of the first states to adopt voter registration prior to the turn of the century, it abolished it in 1951. It is also worth noting that North Dakota law still provides cities with the ability to register voters for city elections.
|
” |
| —North Dakota Secretary of State | ||
Voter ID requirements
North Dakota requires voters to present identification while voting. Identification must include the voter’s name, current North Dakota residential address, and date of birth.[9]
Acceptable forms of voter identification include:
- Driver’s license
- Nondriver’s identification card
- Tribal government-issued identification (including those issued by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) for a tribe located in North Dakota, any other tribal agency or entity, or any other document that sets forth the tribal member’s name, date of birth, and current North Dakota residential address)
- Long-term care identification certificate (provided by North Dakota facility)
If a voter does not have a form of identification that includes his or her current North Dakota residential address or date of birth, the voter can present the following supplemental documents:
- Current utility bill
- Current bank statement
- Check or a document issued by a federal, state, local, or tribal government (including those issued by BIA for a tribe located in North Dakota, any other tribal agency or entity, or any other document that sets forth the tribal member’s name, date of birth, and current North Dakota residential address)
- Paycheck
- Student photo ID card from a North Dakota institution containing the student's photograph and legal name. A printed document on school letterhead containing the student’s name, address, and date of birth must also be presented.
- North Dakota residents living outside of the United States can submit a U.S. Passport or Military ID if they do not have another valid form of identification.
According to the secretary of state's office, "An applicant without an acceptable form of identification may use an attester. The attester must provide his or her name, North Dakota driver’s license, nondriver’s, or tribal identification number, and sign the absentee/mail ballot application form to attest to the applicant’s North Dakota residency and voting eligibility."[9]
Voters who cast absentee/mail-in ballot must include a valid form of identification with their ballot. A voter who has a disability that prevents them from leaving his or her home and is unable to obtain a valid form of identification "must provide his or her name, North Dakota driver’s license, nondriver’s, or tribal identification number, and sign the absentee/mail ballot application form to attest to the applicant’s North Dakota residency and voting eligibility."[9]
Early voting
North Dakota law permits counties to establish early voting.[10] As of October 2024, seven of North Dakota's 53 counties offered early voting. Together, these counties contained 76 of the state's 175 Election Day polling places.[11] Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
All voters are eligible to vote absentee in North Dakota. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.[3][12]
There is no specific deadline for applying for an absentee ballot. The completed ballot must be received by the appropriate election official by the close of polls on Election Day.[12][13]
See also
- North Dakota state legislative Republican primaries, 2018
- North Dakota House of Representatives elections, 2018
- North Dakota State Senate elections, 2018
- North Dakota State Legislature
- North Dakota elections, 2018
Footnotes
- ↑ In selecting articles for inclusion in this section, Ballotpedia has drawn from a variety of sources and viewpoints to identify articles that are representative of broader trends in media coverage.
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Justia, "2023 North Dakota Century Code, CHAPTER 16.1-11 NOMINATIONS FOR OFFICE - PRIMARY ELECTION," accessed August 12, 2024 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "absentee" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "Q: What are voting hours in North Dakota?" accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ Justia, "2023 North Dakota Century Code, 16.1-01-03. Opening and closing of the polls," accessed August 14, 2024
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 North Dakota Secretary of State, “North Dakota….The Only State Without Voter Registration,” accessed April 24, 2023
- ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, “Voter Registration in North Dakota,” accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 North Dakota Secretary of State, "ID Requirements for Voting," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ North Dakota Century Code, "CHAPTER 16.1-07 ABSENT VOTERS' BALLOTS AND ABSENTEE VOTING," accessed June 24, 2024
- ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "Early Voting Available Counties," accessed October 28, 2024
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 North Dakota Secretary of State, "North Dakota Residents Choosing to Vote Absentee or by Mail," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedhb1165
