Petition in North Dakota seeks to ban early voting in elections

BISMARCK, N.D. (Valley News Live) – A proposed ballot measure in North Dakota would change how the state runs its elections.

The “Election Integrity Act Initiative” seeks to provide election integrity through a voting system that only uses paper ballots.

The petition was submitted to Secretary of State Michael Howe on Tuesday by a committee led by Lydia Gessele of Chaseley, North Dakota.

Once approved, petitioners would need more than 31,000 signatures by Feb. 12, 2024 to get it placed on the ballot.

According to the petition, it seeks to amend the North Dakota Constitution by providing a method of verifying election results and providing a reasonable process for recalled elected officials.

All ballots would be counted by hand the day of the election. It would ban early voting and would only allow absentee voting to those who request a ballot in writing.

The absentee ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on the day before the election, according to the petition, and counted and announced prior to election day.

The petition says ballot boxes should be monitored at all times, and public drop boxes are prohibited.

The petition also dictates all voters in North Dakota must prove they are residents before voting with a photo ID, a license, the last four digits of their social security a U.S. passport or an Affidavit of Truth.

If passed, those who break the requirements could be fined $1,000 to $10,000.

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