Here you will find news releases and the latest news featuring the Office of the Secretary of State.
Be sure to follow us on our social channels.
Media Information
Media Contact: Misty Curn, Strategic Communications Director
2026 North Dakota Primary Election Media Information (updated May 6, 2026)
2026 North Dakota Primary Election Absentee/Vote By Mail and Early Voting Numbers - Please note that these are not election results. Primary Election unofficial results will begin posting at 8 p.m. CST – June 9, 2026
Recent News
View All News
As the June 9 Primary Election approaches, citizens who are voting absentee are encouraged to fill out and return their ballot as soon as possible. Absentee ballots must be received by the county auditor by the close of polls on election day to be counted.
Primary Election Editorial by Secretary of State Michael Howe
Since 2000 North Dakota has averaged a disappointingly sparse 22% turnout for the June Primary Election. Said a different way, nearly 80% of eligible North Dakotans have stayed home and remained silent when it comes to electing their mayors, their city councils or commissions, and deciding who shall serve on their park board. Not all school board elections are on the Primary ballot, but many are. An overwhelming majority are yielding their vote for local representation in their school districts to a fraction of the population.
North Dakota Secretary of State Michael Howe has reviewed petitions submitted to his office on April 9, 2026, by proponents to initiate a constitutional measure on the ballot related to funding of school lunches. A total of 49,338 signatures were accepted, 18,174 signatures over the required threshold of 31,164 signatures, which qualifies the initiated measure for inclusion on the November 3, 2026 General Election ballot.
The North Dakota Office of the Secretary of State will be mailing out a pamphlet with information regarding statewide Measure #1 which will appear on the June 9, 2026, Primary Election ballot. The ballot measure guide will be mailed Friday April 24, 2026, to the households of 450,000 active North Dakota voters. An active voter is a person who has voted in a North Dakota election in the last four years. The ballot measure guide will also be posted at all voting locations and on the North Dakota Secretary of State website.
Secretary of State Michael Howe announced today that petitions with signatures for the constitutional initiative related to funding of school lunches was submitted by the sponsoring committee to the Office of the Secretary of State for review and approval for placement on the November 3, 2026, General election ballot.