The effort to standardize state election procedures by banning approval and ranked choice voting continues to move forward in the state legislature. The North Dakota House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted to prohibit alternatives to casting one vote for one candidate for office.
Opponents cite voter confusion and a less-than-timely process for tallying votes as reasons for eliminating the unorthodox voting methods that media outlets like Inforum still feel compelled to explain to many readers unfamiliar with the concept.
Approval voting allows each voter to vote for as many candidates as they approve of instead of choosing just one.
Ranked choice voting gives voters the option to rank candidates on the ballot in order of preference. Similar to approval voting, the voter may list as many candidates as they choose.
House Bill 1297 would prohibit cities, counties and any political subdivision statewide from using either voting system to elect or nominate a candidate to any local, state or federal elected office.
The action brings lawmakers closer to ending approval voting in Fargo, the only city in the state to adopt an alternative voting system to date. Local elected officials in Fargo vigorously oppose the prohibition of the approval voting system residents okayed at the ballot box in 2018.
Rep. LaurieBeth Hager, D-Fargo, said to vote for the ban goes against the will of Fargo constituents.
“Fargo citizens voted for approval voting. Elections are for the people,” Hager said. “This is something that the residents of Fargo had on the ballot and they chose. If the residents of Fargo want to choose to go by a different voting mechanism, it’s their choice. Let the voters choose.”
Proponents contend Fargo has used approval voting without major issues in local elections since 2020. But it may prove difficult to head off the momentum among local and state officials who support the simplified system everyone’s familiar with.
The Secretary of State’s office provided testimony in support, saying the nontraditional voting methods confuse voters and make elections less efficient.
“Our office prefers a uniform election system at all levels of government as opposed to unorthodox election methods sporadically implemented across the state,” said Election Director Erika White on behalf of Secretary Michael Howe in the hearing.
This marks the second push to eliminate approval and ranked choice voting in North Dakota elections. A previous ban passed the legislature in 2023 before being vetoed by Gov. Doug Burgum.