Proposed Legislation Would Change How Candidates get on North Dakota Ballot

Rep. Mike Nathe, R-Bismarck. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)

(Michael Achterling – North Dakota Monitor) – Two proposals in the North Dakota Legislature seek to reshape how statewide and legislative candidates get on the ballot.

The bills follow an election season that saw some legislative incumbents skip their local endorsing conventions and two candidates win primaries without support of the Republican party.

North Dakota allows candidates to appear on the ballot for the primary or general election by either receiving a political party endorsement at the district or state level or obtaining a set amount of signatures.

House Bill 1446, sponsored by Rep. Mike Nathe, R-Bismarck, would eliminate the option of getting on the ballot through a party endorsement. Instead, all candidates for statewide office would be required to gather at least 2,000 petition signatures while legislative candidates would need 167 signatures, or 1% of their district’s population.