North Dakota

Voting in Person

North Dakota requires ID to vote.

Accepted IDs

You can use a photo ID issued by:

• North Dakota driver’s license or state ID card
  (Must be unexpired)
• Tribal identification or letter 
• Long-term care certificate from a facility in North Dakota

Your ID must have your: 

• Name
• Current residential address (not a PO Box)
• Date of birth

You can supplement any missing or outdated information with:

• Current utility bill or bank statement
• Document or check issued by Tribal government, US government, North Dakota government, or local government
• Paycheck

Voting as a Student in North Dakota

Students who present a valid form of North Dakota ID that lists a different North Dakota address to the one where they currently reside may vote if they also provide both of the following:

1. Student ID card with student’s legal name and a photograph

AND

2. Printed document issued by their college or university which contains all of the following:

• Student’s name
• Student’s address
• Student’s date of birth
• Institution’s letterhead or seal

Voting as a Tribal member in North Dakota

Tribal government issued IDs include:

• Tribal IDs issued by the Bureau of Indian Affairs for a tribe located in North Dakota
• Tribal ID issued by any other tribal agency or entity
• Any document that sets forth the tribal member’s name, date of birth, and current North Dakota residential address)

If your Tribal ID does not include your residential address, check with your Tribe whether you need to get an updated ID to use for voting. Some Tribes have an agreement with the state of North Dakota that their members can vote without an ID listing their address. More information is available here.

Contact your local tribal government office for more information. 

The following forms may also be used by tribal member or non-member residents living within the tribal government’s jurisdiction to vote: 

• Mandan, Hidatsa, & Arikara Nation
• Sisseton/Wahpeton Oyate
• Spirit Lake Nation
• Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
• Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa

Voting by Mail

Any voter in North Dakota can vote by mail. No excuse is required but you must request an absentee ballot.

You must include the following when you apply for an absentee ballot:

• The identification number from an acceptable form of ID:
  • Current North Dakota driver’s license
  • Current North Dakota non-driver’s ID card
  • Tribal government-issued ID
• If this ID does not include your legal name, current address, and date of birth – you can supplement this information with:
  • Current utility bill
  • Current bank statement
  • Document or check issued by a federal, state or local government
  • Paycheck

OR

• If you are a uniformed service member or their immediate family member temporarily serving away from your residence in North Dakota: 
  • You may use a current military ID or passport
• If you are a resident of North Dakota temporarily living outside the country
  • You may use a passport
• If you are an individual living in a long-term care facility:
  • You may use a long-term care certificate prescribed by the secretary of state and issued by a long-term care facility in North Dakota
• If you are a voter living with a disability that prevents you from traveling away from their home:
  • You must include a signature on your absentee/mail ballot application from another qualified North Dakota voter, who, by signing, certifies that you are qualified to vote in that precinct.

Frequently Asked Questions