2016 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.
1. The board of county commissioners of each county:
a. 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.
b. 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 subdivision a 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.
2. When establishing precincts under subsection 1, a board of county commissioners, in
cooperation with the county auditor, or a city governing body shall consult with and
seek input regarding the size, number, and proposed boundaries of the precincts from
representatives of the political parties organized within the county. Upon the request of
the district chairman of a political party, a board of county commissioners, in
consultation with the county auditor, or the governing body of a city shall consider
proposals to change precinct boundaries.
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 one or more voting places 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 a
polling location of their residential precinct, or at a county vote center. Vote center
polling places must serve as a 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
re-establishment 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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