AN ACT to amend and reenact section 4.1-20-16, subsection 1 of section 4.1-20-18, section 16.1-01-00.1, subsection 1 of section 16.1-01-09, section 16.1-01-15.1, subsection 3 of section 16.1-05-01, section 16.1-06-02, subdivision g of subsection 1 of section 16.1-06-04, section 16.1-07-07, subsection 4 of section 16.1-07-08, section 16.1-07-09, subsection 3 of section 16.1-07-21, section 16.1-07-24, subsection 2 of section 16.1-07-26, sections 16.1-11-27 and 16.1-11.1-04, subsection 1 of section 16.1-11.1-07, subsection 3 of section 16.1-12-02.2, and subsection 2 of section 16.1-13-05 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to absentee ballots, election practices and administration; and to repeal sections 16.1-07-30 and 40-21-10 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to election notices and municipal voter registration.
HB 1165 makes a broad set of changes to North Dakota election law, with a particular focus on absentee voting, ballot administration, candidate filing, and ballot formatting. The bill revises deadlines and procedures for absentee and military-overseas ballots, including when ballots must be received, how late ballots are handled, and how signatures are verified. It also updates rules for mail ballots, write-in candidacy filings, nominating petitions, sample ballots, and the rotation of candidate names on ballots.
The bill also tightens or clarifies several election-administration rules. It prohibits the state and political subdivisions from soliciting, accepting, or using private grants or donations for election operations except for limited nonmonetary items, and it bars use of private entities to administer elections. It changes provisions governing election judges, ballot printing, and candidate eligibility checks, and it repeals two statutes related to election notices and municipal voter registration. Overall, the bill is a comprehensive technical and policy update to the state’s election code.
HB 1165 amends multiple sections of the North Dakota Century Code in Title 16.1 and related provisions, changing how elections are administered statewide. Its practical effect is to standardize absentee-ballot handling, tighten deadlines for mail and military-overseas voting, adjust candidate filing and ballot publication rules, and clarify responsibilities of county auditors, the secretary of state, and local election officials. It also removes certain obsolete or duplicative provisions by repealing sections on election notices and municipal voter registration.
The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support and passed with large margins in both chambers, indicating general agreement with the election-administration changes. House and Senate second-reading votes were strongly favorable, with only a small number of dissenting votes. The voting pattern suggests the measure was viewed as a largely technical or administrative election-law package rather than a highly divisive policy change.
The main points of contention likely center on the bill’s tighter absentee-ballot deadlines, the prohibition on private funding or private administration of elections, and the increased scrutiny of ballot eligibility and candidate qualification. Those provisions may raise concerns among critics about access to voting, administrative flexibility, and the role of private support in election operations. Supporters, by contrast, likely view the bill as improving election integrity, uniformity, and clarity in election procedures.