Accessible Voting in North Dakota
For the Tuesday, November 8, 2022 General Election in North Dakota
- All voters can request a ballot by mail.
- Early voting locations are open before Election Day
- Check to see if an accessible vote-by-mail system is available.
- All voters are asked to show identification.
Accessible Voting Tips
As a voter with a disability, you have a right to vote privately and independently, at an accessible voting location, on an accessible voting system.
If you need more information or assistance using your right to vote, these organizations can help
- Visit your state Accessible Voting Options page or call (701) 328-4146 or (800) 352-0867 ext 328-4146 for the options available in your state.
- Contact your local election office for help voting and details about local support for accessible voting.
- Your local Center for Independent Living has information and other support.
- Call your state National Disability Rights Network (NRDN) Protection & Advocacy office if someone is interfering with your right to vote.
- If you are a first-time voter or moved recently, check the voter ID requirements in your state. VoteRiders has information about the types of identification accepted.
- You can also call 1-800-OUR-VOTE to report any problems voting.
Your rights
As a voter with a disability, you have a right to:
- Vote privately and independently
- At an accessible polling place
- Using an accessible voting system
If you need assistance you can:
- Ask an election worker, or
- Bring someone to help you
You may request your local election officials to tell you about any voting aids, voting assistance, and absentee ballot procedures that are available.
Election officials must make any reasonable accommodations you need to vote. This might include
- A place to sit if you have trouble standing
- A quiet, private place to vote
You cannot be refused the right to vote because an election worker thinks your disability means you are not qualified to vote.
Open the sections on this page to learn more about accessible options for early voting, voting in person on election day, and voting by mail.
Accessible voting features in North Dakota for voters with disabilities
- Sign up each year to receive a ballot by mail for all elections
- Check with your local election office to see if an accessible vote-by-mail system is available
Ask your local election office about other support for accessible voting, like:
- Election and voting information in large print, audio, or Braille versions.
- Curbside or drive-up voting, so you don’t have to get out of your car.
- Ballot delivery to your home or a “ride to the polls” program.
- An opportunity to practice using the accessible voting system.
- Emergency voting options if you are hospitalized or ill.
- How to get assistance in marking and casting your ballot.
- Other services or assistance for voters with disabilities.
Learn more about the laws that protect your rights
Early voting is voting in person before Election Day, which is usually less crowded than going to vote on Election Day itself. There are different kinds of early voting, so check the options available for you. They might include:
- vote centers where you can vote at any location in your jurisdiction
- super polling places where you are assigned a location
- voting at an elections office or satellite office
- in-person absentee, where you go to an elections office, get your mail ballot, and then mark and cast it in the office.
October 24 through November 7, early voting is available in some counties.
Early voting hours and locations can vary. Check with your local elections office.
- All voters are asked to show identification.
Find an early voting center near you.
When you vote in person on Election Day, you go to a voting center to mark and cast your ballot in person. Every in-person voting location is required to have accessible voting systems available.
Polling locations are open at least from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm but can be open later or close earlier in some locations.
- All voters are asked to show identification.
Find your polling place.
Accessible voting systems for in-person voting
The accessible voting systems used in North Dakota are shown below. Contact your local election office for more information or a change to practice using the system you will vote on.
ES&S ExpressVote
A ballot marking device.
It has a touchscreen, audio, and tactile controls on a small keypad.
The printed ballot is a list of selections printed on a narrow card.
Ballots are cast at a separate scanner.
Learn more about using ExpressVote
- Short video tutorial from Pennsylvania (YouTube 1:53)
- Video from Michigan (You Tube 12:29)
- Information about ExpressVote from Pennsylvania
Voting by mail can be an accessible option for voters with disabilities. It lets you vote at home, so you can mark, verify and return a paper ballot privately and independently. Some states have emergency options if you are hospitalized or ill. |
Deadline to return your ballot:
Postmarked by Election Day, November 8 and received by 4:00 pm on November 16 for mailed ballots.
Delivered by 5:00 pm on November 7 for hand-delivered ballots.
How to get your ballot
- All voters can request a ballot.
- Voters can sign up to receive a ballot request for all elections in a year.
To get your ballot you can:
- Request a ballot online.
- Download, print, and mail a request form.
- Check the identification requirements on the request form carefully.
- You must provide identification with your request form.
How to return your ballot
By mail
At a secure drop box
At your local elections office
Find a ballot drop-off location near you at your local elections website.
Make sure your ballot counts! Remember...
If you mail your ballot, make sure it is postmarked by Election Day.
Put enough postage on the envelope.
If you drop off your ballot, you must do so by the day before Election Day.
Make sure your ballot is sealed in the envelope.
Sign the form on the envelope.
- Ask your local elections office who can return your ballot for you.
- If someone helped you, have them complete the form for assistants.
Learn about accessible voting by mail options in the next card.
Accessible voting by mail allows voters with disabilities to mark a mail-in ballot electronically, using their own technology and assistive tools.
To use accessible tools for voting by mail, typically voters:
- Download an electronic ballot to mark using personal technology
- Print the ballot and any signature form
- Seal the ballot in an envelope
- Return it by mail or to a ballot drop off locatoin
Some states allow electronic return by email, fax, or a secure portal.
There is no statewide accessible vote by mail program in North Dakota
Ask your local election office what options are available to help you vote by mail. For example:
- Home visits by election workers who can help you complete your vote by mail ballot.
Learn more about accessible voting options in North Dakota