2012 North Dakota Century Code Title 16.1 Elections Chapter 16.1-04 Precincts and Voting Places
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CHAPTER 16.1-04
PRECINCTS AND VOTING PLACES
16.1-04-01. Precincts - Duties and responsibilities of the board of county
commissioners or the governing body of the city.
The board of county commissioners of each county:
1. Shall divide the county into precincts and establish the precinct boundaries, except
that within the boundaries of any incorporated city, the governing body of the city shall
divide the city into precincts and establish their boundaries pursuant to title 40. Any
number of townships or parts of townships may be joined into a single precinct
provided that no precinct may encompass more than one legislative district.
2. May alter the number and size of precincts within the county by combining or dividing
precincts. However, the governing body of any incorporated city has the authority to
alter the number and size of precincts located within its boundaries. The board of
county commissioners may relinquish the jurisdiction provided under subsection 1 over
all or any portion of a township or townships under its jurisdiction to a city for the
purpose of establishing a voting precinct if a majority of the governing body of the city
agrees to assume such jurisdiction. The governing body of a city, by majority vote, may
return jurisdiction granted herein to the county and the county shall accept that
jurisdiction.
16.1-04-02. Voting places - Duties and responsibilities of the board of county
commissioners or the governing body of the city.
The board of county commissioners of each county:
1. Shall designate a voting place for each precinct and may alter the voting places when
there is a good and sufficient reason. However, the voting places for precincts located
within the boundaries of any incorporated city must be designated, and altered if
required, by the governing body of the city.
2. Shall provide that all voting places are accessible to the elderly and the physically
disabled.
3. May utilize vote centers that contain all of the precincts in a county so that any
qualified elector of the county may choose to cast a ballot in that polling location.
Qualified electors may vote early at early voting precincts, by absentee ballot, at the
polling location of their residential precinct, or at a county vote center. Vote center
polling places must serve as the designated polling place for at least one precinct in
the county in addition to serving as the site where any county voter may cast a ballot.
An individual voting or attempting to vote more than once in any single election is
guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
16.1-04-03. Time limitations.
The authority granted by this chapter must be exercised by the respective governing bodies
no later than December thirty-first of the year immediately preceding an election cycle and no
later than seventy days before a special election. If legislative reapportionment occurs, the
authority granted by this chapter must be exercised, as it relates to the establishment or
reestablishment of voting precincts that may be required because of any change in legislative
districts, within thirty-five days after the effective date of the reapportionment.
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