North Dakota state executive official elections, 2018

Elections in North Dakota, 2018

• General election: Nov. 6
• Voter registration deadline: N/A (no formal registration process)
• Early voting: Sept. 27 - Nov. 5
• Absentee voting deadline: Postmark Nov. 5

• Online registration: N/A
• Same-day registration: N/A
• Voter ID: ID required
• Poll times: Varies according to the size of the precinct

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On the ballot: U.S. Senate • U.S. House • Attorney General • Secretary of State • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Supreme court • Local judges • State ballot measures • Local ballot measures • Recalls • Democratic primaries • Republican primaries

2020 → ← 2016
North Dakota state executive official elections
Election details
Filing deadline: April 9, 2018
Primary: June 12, 2018 General: November 6, 2018
How to vote
Poll times: Open between 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.; close between 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Voting in North Dakota
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2018 Impact of term limits in 2018 State government trifectas and triplexes
Other state executive elections
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The following state executive offices were up for election in North Dakota in 2018. Click on the following links to learn more about each race:

Attorney general
Secretary of state
Agriculture commissioner
Tax commissioner
Public service commissioner

Candidates and election results

Attorney general

General election

General election for Attorney General of North Dakota

Incumbent Wayne Stenehjem defeated David Thompson in the general election for Attorney General of North Dakota on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Wayne Stenehjem (R)	67.6	215,633
		David Thompson (D)	32.2	102,869
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	715

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 319,217
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Attorney General of North Dakota

David Thompson advanced from the Democratic primary for Attorney General of North Dakota on June 12, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		David Thompson	99.8	32,217
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	63

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 32,280
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Attorney General of North Dakota

Incumbent Wayne Stenehjem advanced from the Republican primary for Attorney General of North Dakota on June 12, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Wayne Stenehjem	99.5	63,839
		Other/Write-in votes	0.5	350

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 64,189
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Secretary of state

General election

General election for North Dakota Secretary of State

Incumbent Al Jaeger defeated Joshua A. Boschee and Michael Coachman in the general election for North Dakota Secretary of State on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Al Jaeger (Independent)	47.3	145,275
		Joshua A. Boschee (D)	39.2	120,475
		Michael Coachman (Independent)	13.2	40,590
		Other/Write-in votes	0.3	937

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 307,277 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Roland Riemers (L)
• Will Gardner (R)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for North Dakota Secretary of State

Joshua A. Boschee advanced from the Democratic primary for North Dakota Secretary of State on June 12, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joshua A. Boschee	100.0	33,039

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 33,039
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for North Dakota Secretary of State

Will Gardner advanced from the Republican primary for North Dakota Secretary of State on June 12, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Will Gardner	100.0	54,563

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 54,563
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for North Dakota Secretary of State

Roland Riemers advanced from the Libertarian primary for North Dakota Secretary of State on June 12, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Roland Riemers	100.0	247

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 247
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Agriculture commissioner

General election

General election for North Dakota Commissioner of Agriculture

Incumbent Doug Goehring defeated Jim Dotzenrod in the general election for North Dakota Commissioner of Agriculture on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Doug Goehring (R)	67.8	213,689
		Jim Dotzenrod (D)	32.0	100,914
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	656

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 315,259 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for North Dakota Commissioner of Agriculture

Jim Dotzenrod advanced from the Democratic primary for North Dakota Commissioner of Agriculture on June 12, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jim Dotzenrod	100.0	32,347

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 32,347
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for North Dakota Commissioner of Agriculture

Incumbent Doug Goehring advanced from the Republican primary for North Dakota Commissioner of Agriculture on June 12, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Doug Goehring	100.0	63,585

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 63,585
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Tax commissioner

General election

General election for North Dakota Tax Commissioner

Incumbent Ryan Rauschenberger defeated Kylie Oversen in the general election for North Dakota Tax Commissioner on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ryan Rauschenberger (R)	58.6	183,283
		Kylie Oversen (D)	41.2	128,806
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	684

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 312,773
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for North Dakota Tax Commissioner

Kylie Oversen advanced from the Democratic primary for North Dakota Tax Commissioner on June 12, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kylie Oversen	100.0	32,724

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 32,724
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for North Dakota Tax Commissioner

Incumbent Ryan Rauschenberger advanced from the Republican primary for North Dakota Tax Commissioner on June 12, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ryan Rauschenberger	100.0	60,797

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 60,797
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Public service commissioner

General election

General election for North Dakota Public Service Commission

Incumbent Randel Christmann defeated Jeannie Brandt in the general election for North Dakota Public Service Commission on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Randel Christmann (R)	61.6	190,792
	Submit photo	Jeannie Brandt (D)	38.2	118,122
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	650

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 309,564
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for North Dakota Public Service Commission

Incumbent Randel Christmann and Jeannie Brandt advanced from the primary for North Dakota Public Service Commission on June 12, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Randel Christmann (R)	65.5	61,587
✔	Submit photo	Jeannie Brandt (D)	34.5	32,368

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 93,955
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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General election

Special general election for North Dakota Public Service Commission

Incumbent Brian Kroshus defeated Casey D. Buchmann in the special general election for North Dakota Public Service Commission on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brian Kroshus (R)	61.5	187,939
	Submit photo	Casey D. Buchmann (D)	38.3	117,235
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	637

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 305,811
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Special nonpartisan primary for North Dakota Public Service Commission

Incumbent Brian Kroshus and Casey D. Buchmann advanced from the special primary for North Dakota Public Service Commission on June 12, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brian Kroshus (R)	65.4	60,790
✔	Submit photo	Casey D. Buchmann (D)	34.6	32,101

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 92,891
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Context of the 2018 election

Party control in North Dakota

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Republicans in North Dakota held a state government trifecta for 23 years between 1992 to 2017.

North Dakota Party Control: 1992-2024
No Democratic trifectas  •  Thirty-one years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25
Governor	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
Senate	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
House	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. A primary election is also sometimes used to choose convention delegates and party leaders; however, these selection processes can vary from state to state and party to party within a state. In North Dakota, precinct, district, and state party officials are selected at party caucuses and conventions, not at the state-administered primary election. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. North Dakota utilizes an open primary system, in which voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

In North Dakota, voting hours at polling locations vary by county. According to statute, all polls must open between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. local time, and they must close between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. North Dakota is divided between the Central and Mountain time zones. Hours for specific polling places are available online through the state's Polling Place Search. A voter who is standing in line at the time the polls close will be allowed to vote.

Registration requirements

Check your voter information here.

North Dakota is the only state that does not require voter registration.

“	Although North Dakota was one of the first states to adopt voter registration prior to the turn of the century, it abolished it in 1951. It is also worth noting that North Dakota law still provides cities with the ability to register voters for city elections. North Dakota is a rural state and its communities maintain close ties and networks. North Dakota's system of voting, and lack of voter registration, is rooted in its rural character by providing small precincts. Establishing relatively small precincts is intended to ensure that election boards know the voters who come to the polls to vote on Election Day and can easily detect those who should not be voting in the precinct.	”
—North Dakota Secretary of State

Voter ID requirements

North Dakota requires voters to present identification while voting. Identification must include the voter’s name, current North Dakota residential address, and date of birth.

Acceptable forms of voter identification include:

• Driver’s license
• Nondriver’s identification card
• Tribal government-issued identification (including those issued by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) for a tribe located in North Dakota, any other tribal agency or entity, or any other document that sets forth the tribal member’s name, date of birth, and current North Dakota residential address)
• Long-term care identification certificate (provided by North Dakota facility)

If a voter does not have a form of identification that includes his or her current North Dakota residential address or date of birth, the voter can present the following supplemental documents:

• Current utility bill
• Current bank statement
• Check or a document issued by a federal, state, local, or tribal government (including those issued by BIA for a tribe located in North Dakota, any other tribal agency or entity, or any other document that sets forth the tribal member’s name, date of birth, and current North Dakota residential address)
• Paycheck
• Student photo ID card from a North Dakota institution containing the student's photograph and legal name. A printed document on school letterhead containing the student’s name, address, and date of birth must also be presented.
• North Dakota residents living outside of the United States can submit a U.S. Passport or Military ID if they do not have another valid form of identification.

According to the secretary of state's office, "An applicant without an acceptable form of identification may use an attester. The attester must provide his or her name, North Dakota driver’s license, nondriver’s, or tribal identification number, and sign the absentee/mail ballot application form to attest to the applicant’s North Dakota residency and voting eligibility."

Voters who cast absentee/mail-in ballot must include a valid form of identification with their ballot. A voter who has a disability that prevents them from leaving his or her home and is unable to obtain a valid form of identification "must provide his or her name, North Dakota driver’s license, nondriver’s, or tribal identification number, and sign the absentee/mail ballot application form to attest to the applicant’s North Dakota residency and voting eligibility."

Early voting

North Dakota law permits counties to establish early voting. As of October 2024, seven of North Dakota's 53 counties offered early voting. Together, these counties contained 76 of the state's 175 Election Day polling places. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting

All voters are eligible to vote absentee in North Dakota. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.

There is no specific deadline for applying for an absentee ballot. The completed ballot must be postmarked at least one day before the election.

Past elections

2016

The following elections took place in 2016.

• North Dakota Public Service Commission election, 2016
• North Dakota gubernatorial election, 2016
• North Dakota Treasurer election, 2016
• North Dakota Auditor election, 2016
• North Dakota Insurance Commissioner election, 2016
• North Dakota Superintendent of Schools election, 2016

2014

The following elections took place in 2014.

• North Dakota Attorney General election, 2014
• North Dakota state executive official elections, 2014
• North Dakota down ballot state executive elections, 2014
• North Dakota Secretary of State election, 2014

2012

The following elections took place in 2012.

• North Dakota down ballot state executive elections, 2012
• North Dakota gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2012
• North Dakota state executive official elections, 2012

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms North Dakota state executive election 2018. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

North Dakota state executive official elections, 2018 - Google News

State profile

Demographic data for North Dakota
	North Dakota	U.S.
Total population:	756,835	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	69,001	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	88.7%	73.6%
Black/African American:	1.6%	12.6%
Asian:	1.2%	5.1%
Native American:	5.3%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.2%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	2.9%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	91.7%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	27.7%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$57,181	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	12.2%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in North Dakota. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in North Dakota

North Dakota voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, four are located in North Dakota, accounting for 1.94 percent of the total pivot counties.

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. North Dakota had three Retained Pivot Counties, 1.66 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.

More North Dakota coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in North Dakota
• United States congressional delegations from North Dakota
• Public policy in North Dakota
• Endorsers in North Dakota
• North Dakota fact checks
• More...

External links

Suggest a link

• State of North Dakota official website