North Dakota’s State Canvassing Board has officially certified the results of the Nov. 5 election, making the results of state, judicial, and legislative races official. Two soil conservation districts are still subject to automatic recounts in December. The board’s action comes as nearly 372,000 out of 594,000 eligible voters participated in the election, with a voter turnout rate of 63%. Secretary of State Michael Howe praised election officials for their hard work and noted the popularity of absentee and early voting options.
In two close legislative races, candidates have the option to demand a recount by Saturday, but would have to pay for it unless the outcome is overturned. Despite being defeated by 36 votes, Republican David Brien does not plan to demand a recount in District 9. In District 18, Democratic-NPL candidate Mary Adams lost by 58 votes but has not yet commented on whether she will demand a recount. The State Canvassing Board will reconvene in December to verify the results of the soil conservation districts and potential demand recounts.
However, some issues have arisen during the election, such as ballot-counting machine test results being mistakenly included in election night results. Despite these challenges, Erika White, elections director for the Secretary of State’s Office, emphasized the importance of accurate and official election results. The board is hopeful that the Legislature will consider making counties responsible for recounts involving soil conservation district elections in the future.
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