North Dakota

Voters in North Dakota need to confirm their identity when they vote in person. There are several forms of identification you can use.

You must provide ID information when you apply for your mail ballot.

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North Dakota ID Requirements for Voting In Person

ACCEPTABLE ID

You can use the following forms of ID:

  • North Dakota driver’s license
  • North Dakota non-driver’s ID card
  • Tribal government-issued ID
  • Long-term care identification certificate (provided by ND facility)

Your ID must show your:

  • Name
  • Current residential address (not a PO Box)
  • Date of birth

In addition to your ID, you can supplement any missing or outdated voter info with:

  • Current utility bill
  • Current bank statement
  • Document or check issued by a federal, state, local, or tribal government
  • Paycheck

Students who present a valid form of North Dakota ID that lists a different North Dakota address to the one where they currently reside may vote if they also provide both of the following:

1. Student ID card with student’s legal name and a photograph

AND

2. Printed document issued by their college or university which contains all of the following:

  • Student’s name
  • Student’s address
  • Student’s date of birth
  • Institution’s letterhead or seal

Tribal government issued IDs include:

  • Tribal IDs issued by the Bureau of Indian Affairs for a tribe located in North Dakota
  • Tribal ID issued by any other tribal agency or entity
  • Any document that sets forth the tribal member’s name, date of birth, and current North Dakota residential address)

If your Tribal ID does not include your residential address, check with your tribe whether you need to get an updated ID to use for voting. Some tribes have an agreement with the state of North Dakota that their members can vote without an ID listing their address. More information is available here.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Voters in North Dakota must show ID when they vote in person.

If you do not present an acceptable ID at the polling place, your ballot will be set aside. You must take additional steps in order for your ballot to be counted.

In order for your ballot to be counted:

  • you must return with a valid ID to the polling place before the polls close on Election Day

OR

  • you must show a valid ID to the office of your area’s elections administrator before the meeting of the canvassing board on the thirteenth day after the election. 

If your North Dakota Driver’s License or non-driver’s ID card lists you as a non-citizen but since getting it you have become a citizen, you may vote a set aside ballot and then return and show an updated ID card that no longer lists you as a non-citizen.

You do not need a REAL ID to vote in North Dakota.

Your driver’s license or state ID card will show a star in the upper corner if it meets REAL ID requirements under federal law.

Get in touch with VoteRiders if you have questions or need free help getting ID.

No. The state has not passed any law nor provided any guidance as to whether poll workers and other election officials can rely on an image of your ID on your mobile or other electronic device instead of a physical ID when voting in person.

North Dakota ID Requirements for Voting By Mail

Any voter in North Dakota can vote by mail. No excuse is required but you must request a ballot.

You must provide ID information when you apply for your ballot.

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Frequently Asked Questions

You must include the following when you apply for an absentee/mail ballot: 

  • The identification number from an acceptable form of ID:
    • Current North Dakota driver’s license
    • Current North Dakota non-driver’s ID card
    • Tribal government-issued ID
  • If this ID does not include your legal name, current address, and date of birth – you can supplement this information with: 
    • Current utility bill
    • Current bank statement
    • Document or check issued by a federal, state or local government
    • Paycheck

OR

  • If you are a uniformed service member or their immediate family member temporarily serving away from your residence in North Dakota: 
    • You may use a current military ID or passport 
  • If you are a resident of North Dakota temporarily living outside the country 
    • You may use a passport 
  • If you are an individual living in a long-term care facility: 
    • You may use a long-term care certificate prescribed by the secretary of state and issued by a long-term care facility in North Dakota
  • If you are a voter living with a disability that prevents you from traveling away from their home:
    • You must include a signature on your absentee/mail ballot application from another qualified North Dakota voter, who, by signing, certifies that you are qualified to vote in that precinct.

No, but the signature on your mail ballot must match your signature on file with the state.

An election official must notify you if your signatures on the absentee ballot application and the affidavit on your returned ballot envelope do not appear to match. The notification will advise that the signature verification of your absentee ballot must be completed by the close of the meeting of the canvassing board, which occurs six (6) days following election day.

You may confirm the validity of the signatures by written communication or personal visit to the office of the election official administering the election. Whether you confirm by written communication or through a personal visit to the election official, you must provide the identification used when applying for your ballot.

NORTH DAKOTA SECRETARY OF STATE