ND
North Dakota House Bill HB1297

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Dakota House Bill HB1297 Compare Versions

OldNewDifferences
1-Sixty-ninth Legislative Assembly of North Dakota
2-In Regular Session Commencing Tuesday, January 7, 2025
3-HOUSE BILL NO. 1297
4-(Representatives Koppelman, Heilman, Heinert, Kasper, Louser)
5-(Senators Castaneda, Clemens, Enget, Paulson, Wobbema, Larson)
6-AN ACT to create and enact a new section to chapter 16.1-01 of the North Dakota Century Code,
7-relating to prohibiting approval voting and ranked-choice voting in elections; and to amend and
8-reenact subsection 7 of section 11-09.1-05 and subsection 9 of section 40-05.1-06 of the North
9-Dakota Century Code, relating to home rule powers in counties and cities.
1+25.0495.01000
2+Sixty-ninth
3+Legislative Assembly
4+of North Dakota
5+Introduced by
6+Representatives Koppelman, Heilman, Heinert, Kasper, Louser
7+Senators Castaneda, Clemens, Enget, Paulson, Wobbema, Larson
8+A BILL for an Act to create and enact a new section to chapter 16.1-01 of the North Dakota
9+Century Code, relating to prohibiting approval voting and ranked-choice voting in elections; and
10+to amend and reenact subsection 7 of section 11-09.1-05 and subsection 9 of section
11+40-05.1-06 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to home rule powers in counties and
12+cities.
1013 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF NORTH DAKOTA:
11-SECTION 1. AMENDMENT. Subsection 7 of section 11-09.1-05 of the North Dakota Century Code
12-is amended and reenacted as follows:
13-7.Provide for all matters pertaining to county elections, except as to qualifications of electors
14-and the limitations provided under section 2 of this Act .
15-SECTION 2. A new section to chapter 16.1-01 of the North Dakota Century Code is created and
16-enacted as follows:
14+SECTION 1. AMENDMENT. Subsection 7 of section 11-09.1-05 of the North Dakota
15+Century Code is amended and reenacted as follows:
16+7.Provide for all matters pertaining to county elections, except as to qualifications of
17+electors and the limitations provided under section 2 of this Act .
18+SECTION 2. A new section to chapter 16.1-01 of the North Dakota Century Code is created
19+and enacted as follows:
1720 Approval voting - Ranked-choice voting - Prohibition.
1821 1.For purposes of this section:
19-a."Approval voting" means a method in which a qualified elector may vote for all candidates
20-the voter approves of in each race for public office, and the candidates receiving the most
21-votes are elected until all necessary seats are filled in each race.
22+a."Approval voting" means a method in which a qualified elector may vote for all
23+candidates the voter approves of in each race for public office, and the
24+candidates receiving the most votes are elected until all necessary seats are
25+filled in each race.
2226 b."Ranked-choice voting" means a method in which a qualified elector may rank
23-candidates in a race for public office in order of preference, and all submitted ballots are
24-tabulated in multiple rounds following the elimination of a candidate until a single
25-candidate attains a majority of votes.
26-2.Approval voting or ranked-choice voting may not be used in an election held within this state
27-to elect or nominate a candidate to any local, state, or federal elective office.
28-3.An ordinance enacted or adopted by a county, city, or other political subdivision, including an
29-ordinance enacted or adopted under a home rule charter, which conflicts with this section is
30-void.
31-SECTION 3. AMENDMENT. Subsection 9 of section 40-05.1-06 of the North Dakota Century Code
32-is amended and reenacted as follows:
33-9.To provide for all matters pertaining to city elections, except as to qualifications of electors and
34-the limitations provided under section 2 of this Act. H. B. NO. 1297 - PAGE 2
35-____________________________ ____________________________
36-Speaker of the House President of the Senate
37-____________________________ ____________________________
38-Chief Clerk of the House Secretary of the Senate
39-This certifies that the within bill originated in the House of Representatives of the Sixty-ninth Legislative
40-Assembly of North Dakota and is known on the records of that body as House Bill No. 1297.
41-House Vote: Yeas 75 Nays 16 Absent 3
42-Senate Vote:Yeas 38 Nays 8 Absent 1
43-____________________________
44-Chief Clerk of the House
45-Received by the Governor at ________M. on _____________________________________, 2025.
46-Approved at ________M. on __________________________________________________, 2025.
47-____________________________
48-Governor
49-Filed in this office this ___________day of _______________________________________, 2025,
50-at ________ o’clock ________M.
51-____________________________
52-Secretary of State
27+candidates in a race for public office in order of preference, and all submitted
28+ballots are tabulated in multiple rounds following the elimination of a candidate
29+until a single candidate attains a majority of votes.
30+2.Approval voting or ranked-choice voting may not be used in an election held within this
31+state to elect or nominate a candidate to any local, state, or federal elective office.
32+Page No. 1 25.0495.01000
33+ HOUSE BILL NO. 1297
34+
35+1
36+2
37+3
38+4
39+5
40+6
41+7
42+8
43+9
44+10
45+11
46+12
47+13
48+14
49+15
50+16
51+17
52+18
53+19
54+20
55+21
56+22
57+23
58+24 Sixty-ninth
59+Legislative Assembly
60+3.An ordinance enacted or adopted by a county, city, or other political subdivision,
61+including an ordinance enacted or adopted under a home rule charter, which conflicts
62+with this section is void.
63+SECTION 3. AMENDMENT. Subsection 9 of section 40-05.1-06 of the North Dakota
64+Century Code is amended and reenacted as follows:
65+9.To provide for all matters pertaining to city elections, except as to qualifications of
66+electors and the limitations provided under section 2 of this Act.
67+Page No. 2 25.0495.01000
68+1
69+2
70+3
71+4
72+5
73+6
74+7