North Dakota state legislative Republican primaries, 2018

Elections in North Dakota, 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

---

On the ballot: U.S. Senate • U.S. House • Attorney General • Secretary of State • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Supreme court • Local judges • State ballot measures • Local ballot measures • Recalls • Democratic primaries • Republican primaries

2018 North Dakota State Legislature elections
General	November 6, 2018
Primary	June 12, 2018

2018 elections
Choose a chamber below:
Select an election Alabama Senate Alabama House Alaska Senate Alaska House Arizona Senate Arizona House Arkansas Senate Arkansas House California Senate California Assembly Colorado Senate Colorado House Connecticut Senate Connecticut House Delaware Senate Delaware House Florida Senate Florida House Georgia Senate Georgia House Hawaii Senate Hawaii House Idaho Senate Idaho House Illinois Senate Illinois House Indiana Senate Indiana House Iowa Senate Iowa House Kansas House Kentucky Senate Kentucky House Maine Senate Maine House Maryland Senate Maryland House Massachusetts Senate Massachusetts House Michigan Senate Michigan House Minnesota House Missouri Senate Missouri House Montana Senate Montana House Nebraska Senate Nevada Senate Nevada Assembly New Hampshire Senate New Hampshire House New Mexico House New York Senate New York Assembly North Carolina Senate North Carolina House North Dakota Senate North Dakota House Ohio Senate Ohio House Oklahoma Senate Oklahoma House Oregon Senate Oregon House Pennsylvania Senate Pennsylvania House Rhode Island Senate Rhode Island House South Carolina House South Dakota Senate South Dakota House Tennessee Senate Tennessee House Texas Senate Texas House Utah Senate Utah House Vermont Senate Vermont House Washington Senate Washington House West Virginia Senate West Virginia House Wisconsin Senate Wisconsin Assembly Wyoming Senate Wyoming House

The Republican 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 Democratic 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.

HIGHLIGHTS

As of December 2017, North Dakota was one of 26 Republican trifectas. A state government trifecta is a term used to describe a single-party government where one political party holds the governor's office and a majority in both chambers of the state legislature. To find out more about state government trifectas, click here.

Incumbents who did not advance to the general election

Retiring incumbents

Four Republican state Senate incumbents did not file for re-election.

• Tom Campbell (District 19)
• Jon Casper (District 27)
• Bill Bowman (District 39)
• Ralph Kilzer (District 47)

Four Republican state House incumbents did not file for re-election.

• Gary Sukut (District 1)
• Roscoe Streyle (District 3)
• Christopher Olson (District 13)
• Jay Seibel (District 33)

Incumbents defeated

One Republican state House incumbent was defeated in the primaries:

• Andrew Maragos (District 3)

Competitiveness

See also: 2018 primary election competitiveness in state and federal government and North Dakota state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018

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:

1. Identified by the media as a notable primary election.
2. One or more of the candidates received a notable endorsement.
3. 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. 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.

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. Anyone in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration requirements

Check your voter information here.

North Dakota is the only state that does not require voter registration.

“	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 is a rural state and its communities maintain close ties and networks. North Dakota's system of voting, and lack of voter registration, is rooted in its rural character by providing small precincts. Establishing relatively small precincts is intended to ensure that election boards know the voters who come to the polls to vote on Election Day and can easily detect those who should not be voting in the precinct.	”
—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.

The following are acceptable forms of voter identification as of November 2025. Click here for the North Dakota Secretary of State page on accepted ID for the most current information.

“

North Dakota Driver’s license North Dakota Nondriver’s identification card Tribal government issued identification (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) Long term care identification certificate (provided by North Dakota facility) If an individual’s acceptable form of identification (see list above) does not include the North Dakota residential address or date of birth, or the North Dakota residential address is not current, the individual may supplement the identification with a current utility bill; a current bank statement; a 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); or a paycheck. Students enrolled at an institution of higher education, and who have a valid form of North Dakota identification with a different North Dakota address than where they currently reside, may provide, as supplemental documentation, a printed document containing the student’s name, address, and date of birth issued by the institution of higher education. This document must contain the institution's letterhead or seal, along with a student photo identification card issued by the institution and containing the student's photograph and legal name. Military ID or Passport – Only for North Dakota residents living outside the United States who do not possess one of the other forms of identification.

”

To view North Dakota state law pertaining to voter identification, click here.

According to the secretary of state's office, an absentee ballot applicant "without an acceptable form of ID may use an attester." The attester "must provide name, valid ID number and sign the absentee or mail ballot application attesting the applicant's ND residency or voting eligibility."

Early voting

North Dakota law permits counties to establish early voting. As of November 2025, six of North Dakota's 53 counties offered early voting. Together, these counties contained 63 of the state's 157 Election Day polling places. 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.

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.

See also

• North Dakota state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018
• North Dakota House of Representatives elections, 2018
• North Dakota State Senate elections, 2018
• North Dakota State Legislature
• North Dakota elections, 2018