North Dakota sees strong early voting numbers, signaling 'excitement' • North Dakota Monitor

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020More than 273,000 North Dakotans voted by mail or in person before Election Day. In 2016Almost 135,000 residents cast their votes before election day.

“We have an average voter turnout of 63% in a presidential election and typically about 60% of the total vote occurs on Election Day,” Howe said. “What we won’t know until tomorrow night is, what are the voting habits? Do we have the same voters, but they just choose a different method by voting early? Or do we bring people who maybe have never participated before or haven’t participated in a while?”

Howe said that Record nationwide voter turnout is 69% in the 1984 presidential election. He added that presidential elections typically bring in more votes than midterm congressional elections. Additionally, ballot measures that include eliminating property taxes and recreational marijuana use may have motivated more voters to get involved, and sooner. Howe also said the open gubernatorial race and open U.S. House seat could also lead to more turnout.

According to the State Department, North Dakota has 594,140 eligible voters.

Seven North Dakota counties conducted early in-person voting, including several locations in Cass County.

“We heard record turnout, very, very large turnout on almost every single day of early in-person voting that they offered,” he said.

Howe said the state Republican Party promoted early voting in this election, a departure from some candidates' messages in previous elections, and the Democratic NPL Party's push for early voting contributed to the increased early in-person voting totals can contribute to the state.

Mary Tintes, executive vice president of the League of Women Voters of North Dakota, said the nonpartisan organization's main goal is to educate voters about the candidates, statewide ballot measures and ways to get involved. She added that the group has seen an increase in membership in recent months and that new chapters of the League of Women Voters are beginning in North Dakota.

“The efforts of the volunteers were fantastic,” said Tintes. “I think we’ve seen a real increase, which is great.”

She also praises the various election authorities across the state for making it easier to participate in the election.

“I hope people realize that voting is not a chore,” Tintes said. “It’s not a privilege. It's a right. It is a fundamental right that we should all value and exercise.”

The secretary of state's office will begin posting unofficial results on its website starting at 8 p.m. Central, Howe said. State law allows election officials to begin processing mail-in ballots the Friday before Election Day. The officials only begin evaluating the ballot papers after the polling stations close.

Howe said he doesn't expect any problems with the U.S. Postal Service after it launched an extraordinary campaign of measures in October to ensure that every ballot mailed on or before Nov. 4 had the required postmark. During the statewide primary election in JuneSome counties reported mail-in ballots with missing stamps.

Howe also praised the county's election officials, volunteers and all poll workers for assisting the state in establishing and conducting elections in accordance with state law.

“They are a fantastic bunch of people, and without these people or even our volunteer poll workers, we couldn't conduct an election,” Howe said.

This story has been updated with the number of eligible voters in North Dakota.