Americans hold the responsibility and privilege to shape our communities, state, and country. The North Dakota Office of the Secretary of State’s new civic engagement initiative seeks to empower citizens by encouraging them to get involved and participate in decisions that impact them, their families, and neighbors.
Whether it's casting a ballot, participating in a public forum, or simply staying informed about issues and policies, every action can make an impact. Elections will be a core focus of the new civic engagement initiative since it is a simple, yet powerful, way for people to choose who represents them and weigh in on decisions that appear as ballot measures. The initiative will provide information and resources about how elections are run, the importance of making a plan to vote, and opportunities to volunteer in the election process.
Make an Impact Voter Engagement Toolkit
Are you a business or organization that wants to help share information about voting in North Dakota with your members or employees? Or, just want to become more informed and stay looped in to the voting process yourself? Our nonpartisan online Make an Impact Voter Engagement Toolkit makes it easy to learn and share information about North Dakota elections. It includes:
- Handouts
- Flyers
- A link to Election 101 videos
- Graphics for break room TVs and communications
- A form to invite Secretary Howe to speak to your group
- An option to subscribe to receive newsletters leading up to elections
Civics for Students
Civic engagement habits are built early, and today’s students are the next generation of North Dakota voters, poll workers, and community leaders. Through Civics for Students, our office offers free resources to help teachers spark that interest:
- High school lesson plans: Three ready-to-use lessons (Why Your Vote Matters, Getting Ready to Vote, and Local Government and Elections) that align with North Dakota social studies requirements. Each includes a slide deck, a teacher’s guide, and activities.
- North Dakota Democracy in Action activity book: A hands-on civics guide for students in grades 4–5, available as a printable download or by request.
- A visit from Secretary Howe: Invite him to talk with your students about how elections work and why their participation matters.
North Dakota's 'I Voted' Sticker Contest
To kick off the civic engagement initiative, North Dakotans were invited to become part of our state’s election history by helping to design a new voting sticker. 478 entries were received from 72 communities all around the state. Four finalist designs were chosen and 4,792 cast their vote for their favorite with the winning design by Haylee Senger being revealed during the North Dakota County Auditors Elections Conference on March 5, 2026. To learn more about the winning sticker and see the other finalist designs, check out the I Voted Sticker Design Contest page.
Portions of the civic initiative outreach have been made possible through a federal grant provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency.