BISMARCK, ND – As the June 9 Primary Election approaches, citizens who are voting absentee are encouraged to fill out and return their ballot as soon as possible. Absentee ballots must be received by the county auditor by the close of polls on election day to be counted.
A ballot may be returned by mail through the United States Postal Service, by placing it in the secure county drop box, or by hand delivering it to the county auditor. Absentee ballots cannot be returned to a polling location.
Once a voter returns their completed ballot, they can track it at vote.nd.gov/absenteetracker to see when the county auditor receives it. If the ballot is not received by the county auditor by Election Day, the voter can cast a ballot at a polling location. The voter’s absentee ballot will not be counted when it arrives because the voter’s record will have shown that they already voted at a polling location.
“Absentee, in-person early, or in-person on election day are all great options for North Dakotans to cast a ballot,” Secretary of State Michael Howe said. “In North Dakota we have created a secure process for voters to cast their ballot in a way that is most convenient for them. If you have your absentee ballot sitting on your kitchen counter, please fill it out and get it in the mail or over to the county office as soon as possible. Ballots arriving after the polls close on June 9th will not be counted.”
As of May 29 at 8:00 a.m., 17,706 absentee ballots have been received out of 35,710 that were requested, or 49.58%.
Voters interested in voting in person, can visit vote.nd.gov/myvotinginfo to find voting information specific to their address, including polling locations and times and whether their county offers early voting. They can also view a sample of their Primary Election ballot.
North Dakota voters are required to have a valid form of identification to vote. This can be a North Dakota driver’s license, North Dakota non-driver ID, Tribal ID or letter, or long term care certificate. To streamline the voting process, people are encouraged to make sure their ID information is updated before election day. Address changes to North Dakota driver’s licenses and non-driver IDs can be made online through the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT).
News Release PDF - Return June Primary Election Absentee Ballots
2026 North Dakota Primary Election Key Information for Media - Fact sheet compiled to assist media with obtaining and verifying information about North Dakota's election and voting processes.
2026 North Dakota Primary Election Absentee/Vote by Mail and Early Voting Numbers - Updated statistics about absentee and early voting numbers.