Friday, Jul 10, 2026
Can non-citizens vote in North Dakota because the state does not require voter registration?
While North Dakota is the only state without voter
registration, it does not rely on self-affirmation to prove citizenship.
Instead, qualifications are strictly verified at the polls through mandatory
voter identification laws under North Dakota Century Code 16.1-01-04.1.
To cast a ballot, individuals must prove their identity,
age, and 30-day precinct residency using a valid North Dakota driver’s license,
non-driver ID, tribal ID, or long-term care certificate. The North Dakota
Department of Transportation issues distinct identification types to non-U.S.
citizens. Crucially, North Dakota’s central voter record automatically flags
these specific non-citizen IDs so poll workers can prevent them from voting.
Furthermore, voters lacking compliant identification cannot
simply sign an affidavit; they must cast a “set-aside” ballot, which
is only counted if they present a valid, verified ID to the county auditor
within 13 days of the election.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- North Dakota Secretary of State Forms of Voter ID
- North Dakota Secretary of State 10 PRINCIPLES of NORTH DAKOTA Elections
- Ballotpedia Voter ID in North Dakota
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Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by newsrooms in the Gigafact network.
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