AP Decision Notes: What to expect in North Dakota on Election Day

WASHINGTON (AP) — North Dakota voters will elect leaders for federal, state and other offices on Tuesday. Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied:

When do polls close?

Polls close at 7 p.m. local time, which is 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET. The state spans Central and Mountain time.

What’s on the ballot?

The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in races for U.S. House, attorney general, secretary of state, statewide ballot measures, state Supreme Court, state Senate, state House, agriculture commissioner, Public Service Commissioner, state superintendent of public instruction and Tax Commissioner.

How many people voted in the last midterm election?

About 240,000 votes were cast in North Dakota’s 2022 U.S. Senate race.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

About 44% of all ballots cast in North Dakota’s 2022 election for U.S. Senate were cast early or by absentee ballot. The latest advance vote totals for North Dakota can be found in the AP’s advance vote tracker.

When are early and absentee votes released?

Almost every North Dakota county is expected to release all or almost all of their results in the first vote report of the night, regardless of vote type. Three of the state’s most populous counties (Cass, Grand Forks and Ward) are expected to release all or almost all of their mail voting results in the first vote report of the night, before releasing any in-person Election Day results. In another large county, Burleigh, it’s the opposite: most in-person Election Day results and no early or mail results are expected at the start of the night.

How long does vote counting usually take?

The first results of the 2024 election were reported starting at 8:25 p.m. ET, 25 minutes after the first polls closed. The state reached 50% of votes reporting at 10:35 p.m. ET, and 90% of votes reporting at midnight.

When will the AP declare a winner?

The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

How do recounts work?

Recounts in North Dakota are automatic if the vote margin of victory is 0.5% or less of votes cast for the leading candidate. A recount can also be requested if the margin is more than 0.5% but less than 2% of the top vote-getter’s vote total. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

___

Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.