The North Dakota House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday that would ban ranked choice and approval voting in the state — potentially resetting methods currently used in Fargo city elections.
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.
Fargo began using approval voting in 2018, continuing its use during its 2020, 2022 and 2024 mayoral and City Commission elections. It was the first city in the nation to use approval voting.
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The Legislature passed a similar bill in 2023 before then-Gov. Doug Burgum vetoed it.
"Elections are a function of the state, not individual political subdivisions," Rep. Steve Vetter, R-Grand Forks, said before voting in favor of the ban, pointing to Fargo.
LaurieBeth Hager
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."
Prior to the floor vote, bill sponsor Rep. Ben Koppelman, R-West Fargo, said in a House Government and Veteran Affairs Committee hearing that he brought back the bill because voters want "better" elected officials with more conservative values, especially when it comes to state funding.
Erika White, elections director for the North Dakota Secretary of State’s Office
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.
Opponents of the ban described the approval voting as successful during the hearing.
"This is citizen democracy exercising their right to petition the government with a grievance and being heard. This promotes citizens to question policies and procedures, to point out areas where a political subdivision could be more effective," League of Cities advocate Kory Peterson wrote in online testimony.
Those who joined Peterson to provide testimony against the ban included more than a dozen North Dakotans, Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney, Fargo Deputy Mayor and Commissioner Denise Kolpack, and the American Civil Liberties Union.
One Fargo resident joined Koppelman and the Secretary of State in supporting the ban.
After discussions on the house floor, the chamber voted 75-16 in favor of the bill. The Senate will vote next.
