News

Secretary of State Michael Howe announced today that a proposed petition to initiate a statutory measure was submitted to the Office of the Secretary of State for review and approval to circulate. The proposed statutory initiative relates to Legalization of Cannabis and Related Regulations.

The No Labels Party is the fourth political party to attain ballot access for the 2024 statewide elections, joining the North Dakota Republican Party (NDGOP), the North Dakota Democratic-NPL (ND DEM-NPL), and the Libertarian Party of North Dakota. Neither the No Labels Party or Libertarian Party had any candidate filings prior to the candidate filing deadline – 4 p.m., April 8, 2024. Due to this, neither party will have a column included on the June 11, 2024 Primary Election ballot.

Starting on January 1, 2024, some businesses are required to report ownership information to the U.S. Department of Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Entities include (but are not limited to) many types of corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, and trade names.

North Dakota Secretary of State Michael Howe has reviewed and approved petitions submitted by the Libertarian Party of North Dakota to attain ballot access. The Libertarian Party of North Dakota is the third political party to attain ballot access for the 2024 statewide elections joining the North Dakota Republican Party (NDGOP) and the North Dakota Democratic-NPL (ND DEM-NPL). The Libertarian Party will have a separate column for candidates on the primary election ballot for the statewide election on June 11, 2024. In addition, they will be allowed to place the names of presidential electors on the ballot for the general election on November 5, 2024.

North Dakota Secretary of State Michael Howe has reviewed petitions submitted to his office on February 9, 2024, by proponents to initiate a constitutional measure on the ballot related to congressional candidate age limits. A total of 32,370 signatures were accepted, 1,206 signatures over the required threshold of 31,164 signatures, which qualifies the initiated measure for inclusion on the June 11, 2024 Primary Election ballot.

Secretary of State Michael Howe reminds everyone that the NDGOP and ND DEM-NPL Presidential Caucuses/Primary are not elections overseen by statewide election officials and no state election equipment will be used in that effort. The political party caucus/primary are being conducted by party officials and volunteers, and may also be using a third-party retained by the individual political organization.

Secretary of State Michael Howe announced today that petitions with signatures for the constitutional initiative related to congressional age limits was submitted by the sponsoring committee to the Office of the Secretary of State for review and approval for placement on the June 11, 2024, Primary election ballot. 

The North Dakota Office of the Secretary of State is recognizing Help America Vote Day on January 30, 2024, by encouraging people to volunteer as election poll workers. First recognized by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission in 2022, Help America Vote Day aims to raise awareness about the importance of poll workers and inspire more Americans to play a role in the electoral process.

For the second year in a row North Dakota was named the best state to start a business by Forbes Advisor. Forbes noted North Dakota's welcoming business environment, low formation fees, business survival rate, and low cost of living as reasons why North Dakota was selected.

North Dakota Secretary of State Michael Howe today presented the 2023-2025 North Dakota Blue Book at the official Launch Party at the State Capitol’s Memorial Hall.