Voting Early (Absentee)
Voting before Election Day (also known as absentee voting and Early Voting) is easy in North Dakota and available to every voter. Simply complete an Absent Voter's Ballot Application and deliver it to your County Election Administrator (Auditor) (455kb rtf) at any time during an election year. (It's commonly called absentee voting because voters used to be required to provide a reason for their absence on Election Day in order to vote early.) Ballots are available to voters 40 days prior to each Election Day. When the ballots are prepared, the county auditor will send a ballot and other information to all who have applied to vote early.
After voting the ballot, the voter returns it and the other required documents to the county auditor's office where it will be kept secure until it is counted on Election Day. If these ballots are returned by an in person visit by the voter to the county auditor, they must be returned by at least the day before the election. If they are returned by mail, they must have a postmark or other official date mark by at least the day before the election.
- Absent Voter's Ballot Application (SFN 51468) (121kb fillable pdf)
- County Election Administrator (Auditor) (455kb rtf)
Special Circumstances:
The following form is to be used when the voter wants a friend or family member to deliver their application and ballot to and from the county auditor
- Absent Voter's Ballot Application-Agent Authorization (SFN 53933) (55kb fillable pdf)
Uniformed service members and North Dakota residents living outside the United States
- Absent Voter’s Ballot Application for Uniformed Service Members or ND Resident Living Outside The United States (SFN 54451)
- Federal Post Card Application
For people reaching the age of 18 while living outside of the United States and whose parents or guardians are qualified voters of North Dakota
New residents of ND who have lived here less than 30 days, but more than 10 days before the election
- New Resident Ballot Application-President Only (SFN 54449)
Special applications and write-in ballots for uniformed service members and North Dakota residents living outside the United States
- Federal Post Card Application
- Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot
- Special Write-In Absentee Ballot Application (SFN 19021) (21kb pdf)
- Special Write-In Absentee Ballot (SFN 19022) (20kb pdf)
Early Voting Locations
Some counties, during the 15 days prior to an election, open an early voting precinct so that voters of the county can stop by and vote whenever they happen to be near the voting location. During the hours of operation, election workers are present in the same manner as they would at to polls on Election Day. The big difference from voting early or absentee voting is in the fact that the voter will actually deposit their ballot into the tabulator, which will read the votes on the ballot. If the machine discovers an error that would prevent the vote for an office to be counted, the voter is notified and given a second chance to vote their ballot so that all votes can be counted. Second chance voting was one of the major tenants of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which was signed by President Bush in 2002.
