North Dakota

Slay the Dragon Logo

SLAY THE DRAGON follows everyday people, outraged by what they see as an attack on the core democratic principle that every person’s vote should count equally. This election year, we’re joining together with grassroots partners to put an end to gerrymandering. Because this issue impacts each state differently, we’ve created a map to help you navigate how gerrymandering affects your state and community. SLAY THE DRAGON arrives on demand April 3.

 

GET CAUGHT UP

Click on your state in the map above to find out what’s going on and how you can help.

We are partnering with organizations in Michigan, Colorado, Wisconsin to support the creation of non-partisan redistricting commissions to protect votes across the country.

Map of the United States of America

Click on your state in the map above to find out what’s going on and how you can help.

We are partnering with organizations in Michigan, Colorado, Wisconsin to support the creation of non-partisan redistricting commissions to protect votes across the country.

Slay the Dragon Logo

SLAY THE DRAGON follows everyday people, outraged by what they see as an attack on the core democratic principle that every person’s vote should count equally. This election year, we’re joining together with grassroots partners to put an end to gerrymandering. Because this issue impacts each state differently, we’ve created a map to help you navigate how gerrymandering affects your state and community. SLAY THE DRAGON arrives on demand April 3.

 

GET CAUGHT UP

Click on your state in the map above to find out what’s going on and how you can help.

We are partnering with organizations in Michigan, Colorado, Wisconsin to support the creation of non-partisan redistricting commissions to protect votes across the country.

Map of the United States of America

Click on your state in the map above to find out what’s going on and how you can help.

We are partnering with organizations in Michigan, Colorado, Wisconsin to support the creation of non-partisan redistricting commissions to protect votes across the country.

North Dakota

Process

State Legislature

North Dakota's state legislative lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. North Dakota has only one at-large congressional district, so there is no congressional redistricting.

Criteria

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, North Dakota’s state constitution (Art. IV § 2) requires that state legislative districts be compact and contiguous. State statutes (Code § 54-03-01.5) also require that districts preserve political subdivisions and the cores of existing districts. 

Public Input

North Dakota law does not require public hearings, and there is no record of the Legislature holding any hearings in the 2011 redistricting cycle.

Issues

Pitfalls

Both chambers of the Legislature and the  Governorship are controlled by Republicans. The  Governorship is up for election in November 2020. A Republican win will lead to continued single-party control over redistricting; a Democratic win will lead to bipartisan control. Additionally, half of North Dakota's House and Senate seats will be up for re-election in 2020. If the party maintains those majorities when it is time to draw new maps, there will be an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering. 

In addition, North Dakota has a significant Native American population, raising concerns of fair representation under the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution.

Census Delays

  • State legislative redistricting plan deadline: adjournment of first session of 2021; possibly late April 2021. (Art. IV § 2)

The Census Bureau may delay sending population data to states until as late as July 31, 2021. The Legislature will need to hold a special session to complete redistricting, which has been normal practice for North Dakota in previous cycles.

Reform

North Dakota Voters First had offered a ballot initiative to change the redistricting process. The campaign had submitted enough signatures to be on the ballot, but was removed by the state Supreme Court for failing to meet certain technical requirements.

NDVF's proposed amendment would have required the five-member Ethics Commission to unanimously approve state legislative districts, as well as unanimously agree on an expert to assist in map-drawing. It would also require that the Commission's redistricting meetings be public and that the public be allowed to view, present testimony, and participate in all meetings. The Commission would also be required to hold at least eight public hearings across the state, including at least two in Native American reservations. Lastly, the Commission's materials would be considered public record.

In addition to taking redistricting authority away from the Legislature and increasing public input and transparency, the initiative would also change districting standards. First, North Dakota's Senate districts would no longer act as multimember districts for their House elections. Instead, the Senate districts would be split into two House districts, each electing one representative. Second, the initiative creates a list of ranked criteria for line-drawing, including protections for minority communities and other communities of interest, prohibitions on partisanship, and a goal of politically competitive districts.

Actions

In 2021, contact your state representatives and/or the legislative redistricting committee to ensure your voice is heard in the redistricting process.

  • Obtain North Dakota redistricting data from OpenPrecincts.
  • Start to plan out what defines your community – whether it’s a shared economic interest, school districts, or other social or other cultural, historical, or economic interests – and how that can be represented on a map. This will come in handy once the Legislature starts collecting feedback.
  • Use software tools such as Dave's Redistricting App and Districtr to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.  

Contacts

Princeton Gerrymandering Project Data provided by the Princeton Gerrymandering Project

State Info

State Boundaries: Drawn by legislature
Legislative Control: Republican
Governor's Political Party: Republican
Last Updated: Oct 13 2020