(Photo by Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)
FARGO, N.D. (KVRR-KFGO) – As North Dakota voters head to the polls for today’s primary, state officials are reporting higher-than-usual early turnout, with more than 100,000 ballots already cast statewide.
However, election officials are issuing an urgent warning to those who still have mail-in ballots: A crucial rule change means ballots must be physically received by 7 p.m. on Election Day to be counted.
Previously, ballots were accepted as long as they were postmarked prior to the election.
“Prior to this election, if you got your ballot in and postmarked the day before the election, it would still be counted at canvassing,” Cass County Finance Director Sarah Heinle said. “Unfortunately, that’s not the case anymore, and we have been putting out news about that as well to our trainers, and everyone else out at the polling locations that it now has to be received in our office by 7 p.m.”
Because of the tight deadline, Heinle urged voters who have not yet submitted their mail-in ballots to avoid using the postal service. Instead, she advised voters to drop them off at a secure drop box, such as the one located outside the Cass County Courthouse.
The North Dakota Secretary of State’s Office reported that more than 36,000 early votes were cast in person statewide last week. Of those, more than 14,000 were cast in Cass County.
When factoring in absentee and mail-in ballots, the total number of early votes cast statewide exceeds 100,000. Heinle noted that the figures represent a larger turnout than usual for a primary election.
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