North Dakota Ballot Measure Requiring Hand-Counting of Votes Fails to Qualify
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – A proposed ballot measure in North Dakota that would have required hand-counting of every election ballot, among other controversial changes, has been withdrawn. The initiative, spearheaded by Lydia Gessele, fell short of the necessary signatures by approximately 4,000, failing to reach the 31,164 required for the constitutional measure to appear on the ballot.
The group had a year to gather signatures and missed deadlines for the measure to appear on the state’s June and November 2024 ballots. While they could have still submitted signatures for a potential appearance on the June 2026 ballot, they ultimately chose not to.
The proposed measure sought to drastically alter the state’s election process, including:
* **Mandating hand counts of all ballots.**
* **Banning voting machines, electronic processing devices, and early voting.**
* **Restricting mail ballots.**
* **Allowing any U.S. citizen to verify or audit an election in North Dakota at any time.**
The push for hand-counting aligns with claims of election fraud made by supporters of former President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly asserted, without evidence, that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.
Critics argue that hand-counting is time-consuming, prone to errors, and would delay election results. Supporters, however, maintain that hand-counting is more trustworthy and that volunteers can be readily found to conduct the process.
The failed measure in North Dakota mirrors similar efforts across the country. In June, voters in three South Dakota counties rejected hand-counting measures. Legislation advocating for hand-counting in New Hampshire and Kansas also failed earlier this year.
Georgia recently adopted a new rule requiring the hand-counting of paper ballots, a move that has been met with legal challenges and concerns from opponents who fear it will disrupt the presidential election results in the key swing state.
North Dakota, the only state without voter registration, currently uses only paper ballots, which are counted by electronic tabulators. Absentee voting in the state began Thursday.
Nearly 44% of North Dakota voters participated in the November 2022 election through early voting or mail-in ballots.