North Dakota election observers say more education is needed on set-aside ballots

FARGO, ND – NOV. 05, 2024: Voters voting in the general election at Northview Church in south Fargo on Nov. 5th, 2024, where turnout was heavy for most of the day.

(Jeff Beach -North Dakota Monitor) – A group that used volunteer election observers reports that the biggest voting issue in North Dakota involved inconsistent offering of set-aside ballots.

The most impacted groups were students, military personnel, new U.S. citizens and voters who recently moved to North Dakota and didn’t have the required identification or proof of address, according to the League of Women Voters of North Dakota.

State law allows those voters to cast ballots but with the ballots set aside so the eligibility of the voters can be verified before the votes are counted. A voter must present an acceptable ID or proof of address to the county auditor before the county canvassing board meets 13 days after the election for their ballot to be counted.

“All eligible North Dakota voters have the right to vote a set-aside ballot at the polls,” Carol Sawicki, treasurer for the League of Women Voters of North Dakota, said in a news release. “We encourage more education for both poll workers and voters on the option of voting a set-aside ballot, so voters can participate in the election process. ”

The League of Women Voters of North Dakota said overall, Tuesday’s general election went smoothly.

The group used more than 60 nonpartisan volunteer election observers at 48 polling sites in North Dakota. Volunteers observed at polling sites in Bismarck, Casselton, Devils Lake, Dickinson, Fargo, Grand Forks, Jamestown, Mandan, Minot, Valley City, Wahpeton, West Fargo and Williston.

Observers also reported voters wearing political clothing, voter privacy measures not always available, long wait times at a handful of sites, and polling places running out of pre-printed paper ballots or set-aside ballot envelopes.

The league also reported a need for increased education on the assistance voters can receive at the polls, such as for those with vision impairment or who need an interpreter.

The North Dakota Secretary of State’s Office reported 62.5% of eligible North Dakotans voted in the 2024 election in unofficial results.

For the first time, more voters cast ballots before Election Day than on Election Day.