The North Dakota House of Representatives expelled Rep. Luke Simons (R) on March 4 by a vote of 69-25. The resolution to expel Simons stated that he had “exhibited a history of hostile, threatening, and inappropriate behavior, most frequently toward women.” The Bismarck Tribune reported that this is the first time in the state’s history…
After a state Supreme Court ruling last fall, North Dakota Rep. Jeff Delzer (R) remains in office at the start of the legislative session following a primary defeat in 2020. In North Dakota, each of the state’s 47 districts elects two representatives to the state House. Challengers David Andahl and Dave Nehring defeated Delzer in…
The seat held by North Dakota Supreme Court Justice Jon Jay Jensen will be up for a nonpartisan election on November 3, 2020. Jensen is seeking re-election unopposed. Gov. Doug Burgum (R) appointed Jensen in 2017. Despite the normal method of judicial selection being a nonpartisan election, all but one justice of the North Dakota…
A citizen-initiated constitutional amendment that was designed to make changes to elections and redistricting procedures in North Dakota was removed from the 2020 ballot by the North Dakota Supreme Court on August 25. The measure was certified for the ballot by Secretary of State Al Jaeger on August 11 after his office found that proponents…
North Dakota voters will decide on three constitutional amendments in November. The third measure, a citizen initiative, was certified for the ballot on Tuesday, August 11. The initiative would amend the state constitution to make multiple changes to the election and redistricting procedures in North Dakota. The measure would establish top-four open primaries for all…
Monday, July 6 was the signature submission deadline for 2020 initiatives in North Dakota. North Dakota Voters First, sponsors of an initiative to make multiple changes to elections in the state, submitted over 36,000 signatures on Monday. To qualify for the ballot, 26,904 valid signatures are required, a validity rate of 74.73 percent. In 2016…
North Dakota Voters First, proponents of the North Dakota Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting, Redistricting, and Election Process Changes Initiative filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota Eastern Division on May 6, 2020. Plaintiffs argued that North Dakota’s requirement that petitioners physically witness each signature and that each petition be signed by a…
On Friday afternoon, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) announced that schools in the state would remain closed to in-person instruction for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year. Prior to the announcement, schools in the state had been closed to in-person instruction indefinitely since March 16. Forty-five states have closed schools to in-person instruction…