2025 Bill Tracker

Join us in defending democracy and protecting voting rights in the 2025 ND Legislative Session. Below are the bills we're tracking. Read a summary of each and track along with us, so you can take action.

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Support the ethics process in North Dakota:

The ND Ethics Commission's budget bill (SB 2004) is headed to a conference committee to negotiate the final bill. Ask the committee members to:

Reject the 6-month deadline to close ethics complaint cases, and
Fund the additional full-time education staff member.

✅ Email the Conference Committee: ddever@ndlegis.gov; tmathern@ndlegis.gov; kdavison@ndlegis.gov -- More members to be added soon

More on the bill:

SB 2004 is the ND Ethics Commission's budget bill. The House voted to amend the Commission's budget to ask them to do more, faster, and without additional staff or resources. Read More.

LWVND Responds:

>> Response to the Legislature passing HCR 3003, which would raise the voter approval threshold for constitutional ballot measures.:

The North Dakota Legislature is attempting again to weaken the power of the people to amend our state constitution. They need to stop trying to limit the voice of the people in the governance of our state.

>> Response to new law banning approval voting (signed March 16):

LWVND is disappointed Governor Armstrong signed a new law (HB 1297) banning the voting method Fargo residents use for their nonpartisan city elections. In November 2018, 63% of Fargo voters cast their ballot in favor of using approval voting for city elections, and this system has been used successfully and securely three times since.

It's unfortunate that North Dakota’s long-standing practice of home rule, giving local citizens the right to decide matters pertaining to their city elections, has been revoked.

Campaign Finance Bills

Reporting—SB 2156: A bill to change the campaign finance reporting requirements for candidates, such as increasing the late fee charged to candidates who submit theirs late.

> Waiting for committee recommendation, then will head to the House floor for a vote.

Passed Both Chambers

Student Voters—HB 1178: Require school districts to allow student voters to leave campus to vote in elections. Our testimony.

Ballot Design—HB 1099 : Add the presidential candidates' first names to the ballot. Currently, only the last names are required on the ballot, which confused some voters in the November 2024 election.

Statement of Interests—HB 1469: A bill to require elected officials to file an annual statement of interests. The statement serves to disclose the elected official's financial relationships and, currently, only filed when they run for office.

Ban Approval Voting—HB 1297 Bill to ban approval voting and ranked choice voting in North Dakota. Our testimony.

Voting Methods—HB 1307 Bill to require local ordinances not to conflict with state election law. The bill eliminates Fargo's use of approval voting for city elections and bans local governments from adopting alternative voting methods in the future.

Constitutional Amendments—HCR 3003 Resolution to increase the threshold for approving a constitutional amendment from a simple majority to 60% making it harder for voters to pass a constitutional ballot measure. Will be on the ballot in the November 2026 election. Read our testimony

Single Subject Rule—SCR 4007: Resolution to create a single subject rule for constitutional amendments (both initiated and referred). Will be on the ballot in the November 2026 election. Our testimony

Electoral College—SCR 4013: Resolution to support the Electoral College. This is a messaging resolution, but the Secretary of State will send it to other state legislatures to consider forming an "Electoral College Interstate Compact." Our testimony

Artificial Intelligence—HB 1167: A bill to require political ads containing AI-generated content to have a disclaimer.

Political Ads—HB 1204: A bill to expand current law against publishing false information in political ads to more mediums, like social media.

Post-Election Audit—SB 2175 : Bill to require every county to do a post-election audit of the ballots from one polling location in the county.

Public Comment—SB 2180: A bill to require local governments to allow public comment in at least 1/4 of public meeting in the year.

Voter Info—SB 2230: A bill to require the Secretary of State to create and distribute educational materials on constitutional amendments to voters before each election.

Recall Elections —SB 2269 : A bill to increase the number of signatures on petitions for recall of a city official from 25% to 35% of voters in the last election for that office.

Failed or Withdrawn

Lobbyist Gifts—HB 1304: A bill to provide an exception to the prohibition against gifts for legislator attendance at an out-of-state educational event. Withdrawn.

Voter Info —HB 1616: A bill to require voter information in our state's voter file be made available to anyone located within or outside the state.

Primary Election Ballots—SB 2178 : A bill that would have impacted our state primaries and voter privacy. Our testimony

DC Statehood—SCR 4009: A resolution urging Congress to support admitting Washington, D.C. into the Union as a state of the United States. Our testimony

Polling Places in Schools—HB 1387: A bill to require a school's classes be cancelled or separate students so they don't come in contact with voters if a polling site is located in the school.

Political Ads—HB 1583: A bill to expand current law against publishing false information in political ads to more mediums, like social media, and allow candidates who are targeted with false information to sue for civil damages.

Lobbying Clarification—SB 2052: A bill to clarify that elected public officials, not appointed officials, are prohibited from acting as lobbyists.

Legislative Districts—SB 2338: A bill to move the boundary lines for the House sub-districts in District 9 that were created by legislators in 2021 to give fair representation to the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and Spirit Lake Nation who live in District 9.