Election 2024 Bismarck, North Dakota

3 p.m: National, state and local issues are drawing voters to the polls in Bismarck on Election Day.

Tyler Stecher, 28, said electing the country’s next president is important to him, but he’s also interested in measures that are on the local ballot. Bismarck voters will decide whether to approve a half-cent sales tax to fund public safety and public transportation.

If approved, the tax would provide three-tenths of a cent for public safety. The remaining two-tenths of a cent would be used to meet public transportation needs. Mandan voters approved a similar measure in the June primary election.

Kaylee Halvorson, 20, voted for the first time and said some statewide issues were a priority for her — particularly measures that would end the current property tax system and legalize recreational marijuana. She said she recognizes that both outcomes could have an impact on the state’s economy.

Halvorson said the first vote was a bit intimidating, but she felt it was important to voice her opinion and she found it “pretty easy in the end.”

11:30 a.m.: The fact that Tuesday dawned as a cool, frosty morning with temperatures hovering around 20 degrees did not deter early morning voters at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Bismarck.

Returning officer Marcie Conmy said people were lining up outside the doors before polls opened at 7 a.m

“It was really nice,” she said of the turnout.

There was also a lot going on. 117 ballots were cast within the first hour. By 9 a.m. the number had risen to 200.

Among those who voted in person was 21-year-old Joseph Seibold, a first-time voter. He said he found the process quick, easy and important.

“Most of my friends vote,” Seibold said. “The first election I was able to vote for, so here I am.”

Many voters in Burleigh County did not wait until Election Day to fill out their ballot — 28,623 people voted by mail, absentee ballot or early voting, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. In neighboring Morton County there were 8,574.

8 o’clock: As Election Day begins, polls will be open across North Dakota.

Polls in North Dakota can be open until 9 p.m. local time. North Dakota covers two time zones, so most of the state will begin reporting results while some voters in the Southwest are still casting their ballots.

There are 18 polling locations in Burleigh County and 12 in Morton County. To find your polling location, go to: https://bit.ly/3NMA6Ox. Polling stations in both counties are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (local time).

According to the State Department, nearly 188,000 North Dakotans have already voted by absentee ballot, absentee ballot or early voting. There are 594,140 eligible voters in the state.

Registration is not required to vote in North Dakota. A valid photo ID is required to vote. Valid forms of identification include a driver’s license, non-driver’s license, tribal ID card, tribal letter or certificate of care. To vote, you must be 18 years old, a North Dakota resident, and a U.S. citizen.

Bis-Man Transit is offering free rides for Capital Area Transit bus riders and paratransit riders on Election Day. The free rides are offered during all operating hours and to all locations. For more information, visit bismantransit.com.

If you believe you are unfairly barred from voting, you can call the American Civil Liberties Union’s Election Protection Hotline at 866-687-8683. Incidents can also be reported to the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division at 800-253-3931 or online at https://bit.ly/4hoLhur.