North Dakota ballot measure · November 3, 2026
North Dakota Constitutional Measure No. 1, explained
60% vote required to amend the constitution. A ballot measure is a yes-or-no question put directly to voters — no candidate is involved, and the wording on the ballot is the wording that becomes law. This page shows that wording first, then what it actually changes.
The official wordingWhat appears on the ballot. Everything below explains it.
Constitutional Measure No. 1 (House Concurrent Resolution No. 3003, 2025 Session Laws, Ch. 614) This constitutional measure would amend and reenact section 9 of article III and section 16 of article IV of the Constitution of North Dakota. The proposed amendment would require constitutional amendments submitted to the electors, by resolution adopted by the legislative assembly proposing a constitutional amendment and each initiative petition and measure proposing a constitutional amendment, to receive an affirmative vote of at least sixty percent of those voting on the question for enactment. The estimated fiscal impact of this measure is none. Yes – Means you approve the measure as summarized above. No – Means you reject the measure as summarized above.
What it actually means
A constitutional amendment in North Dakota currently passes if more than half of the people voting on it say yes. This measure would raise that to 60% for every future amendment — those the Legislative Assembly refers and those citizens put on the ballot by petition. It does not change the threshold for initiated laws or referred statutes, which stay at a simple majority. The measure itself needs only a simple majority.
If you vote YES
- Article III, Section 9 would read that an initiated constitutional amendment is enacted only "if at least sixty percent of votes cast for a proposed constitutional amendment are affirmative."
- Article IV, Section 16 would apply the same 60% threshold to amendments the Legislative Assembly refers.
- An amendment supported by, say, 55% of those voting on it would fail — 41% of voters would be enough to stop a change 59% wanted.
- The four percent signature requirement to put an initiated amendment on the ballot is unchanged; what changes is the vote needed to pass it.
- Initiated and referred statutes would still pass on a simple majority, giving campaigns a reason to use statutes — which the Legislative Assembly can then amend.
If you vote NO
- Article III, Section 9 and Article IV, Section 16 keep their current wording: an amendment takes effect when a majority of the votes cast on it are in the affirmative.
- Constitutional amendments continue to pass with 50% plus one, as the 2024 property tax and 2026 single-subject measures did.
- North Dakota remains one of 38 states where a simple majority amends the constitution, rather than joining Florida at 60%.
- The single-subject rule North Dakotans approved in June 2026 stays in place either way — it limits what an amendment may contain, not how many votes it needs.
The numbers that matter
- Estimated fiscal impact
- None
- Threshold now
- Majority of votes cast on the question
- Threshold proposed
- 60% of votes cast on the question
North Dakota Legislative Council estimate, printed on the ballot
Article III, Section 9 and Article IV, Section 16, North Dakota Constitution
Official Ballot Language, North Dakota Secretary of State
What each side says2 for, 3 against — quoted, not summarised
Why supporters say YES
"Our Constitution is a much-higher governing authority than a simple law. It both defines the scope of government authority, and, very importantly, the limits on that government authority, so to protect the natural God-given rights of the people."
— State Sen. Jeff Barta (R-43)
"Is the will of the people more important than the rights of the minority? Most states that have the initiated process to change the constitution, they have a little more stricter rules."
— State Sen. Steve Vetter (R-18)
Why opponents say NO
"Section three of our North Dakota Constitution is appropriately titled 'Powers reserved to the people.' I think the folks who drafted our Constitution were wise to give this tool, that measures can be referred to the voters of North Dakota — the same folks that elected us to serve in this chamber — to decide whether or not they want to amend the Constitution."
— State Sen. Sean Cleary (R-35)
"HCR 3003 undermines the principle of majority rule, allowing a smaller group to veto initiatives favored by most voters. Meaning if 41% of the voters oppose a measure they would effectively veto the wishes of the other 59% — putting the interest of the few over that of the many."
— Amy Jacobson, executive director, Prairie Action ND
"The citizen initiative process is a hallmark of direct democracy. It promotes civic engagement, increases government accountability, and provides a channel for North Dakotans to elevate an issue that might otherwise not be addressed. For example, property taxes became a priority this session due in large part to a citizen initiative in 2024 to address it. … HCR 3003 would limit that role."
— League of Women Voters of North Dakota, legislative testimony
What's genuinely uncertain
- Whether a higher threshold would reduce out-of-state spending on North Dakota ballot campaigns is disputed. Dustin Gawrylow of the North Dakota Watchdog Network, an opponent, put it as: "If we're really concerned about the out-of-state money issue, why don't we do something about it?"
- The measure does not say whether the 60% rule would apply to amendments already certified for a later ballot when it takes effect.
- No ballot question committee had registered on either side as of September 2026, so there is no campaign finance record to indicate who is spending on this.
- Support and opposition both cross party lines in the Legislative Assembly, which makes it hard to read the measure's prospects from party alignment.
The bottom line
Whether amending North Dakota's constitution should require broad agreement or just more than half — protection against a foundational document changed in one charged election, set against letting 41% of voters block what a majority wants.
One neutral sentence describing the tradeoff — not a recommendation.
Sources (4)The numbers in the text above link here
- 1Official Ballot Language for Measures Appearing on the Ballot, November 3, 2026 — North Dakota Secretary of State — sos.nd.gov
- 2Analysis of Constitutional Measure No. 1 — North Dakota Secretary of State — sos.nd.gov
- 3House Concurrent Resolution No. 3003 (2025) — North Dakota Legislative Assembly — sos.nd.gov
- 4North Dakota Constitutional Measure 1, 60% Vote Requirement for Constitutional Amendments Measure (2026) — Ballotpedia — ballotpedia.org
Checking it against the official text
The North Dakota Secretary of State publishes the certified measures and, in most states, an official voter guide with fiscal notes. That is the authoritative version. Everything here is an explanation of it, not a substitute for it.
Confirm this with the official source
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at North Dakota Secretary of State.