North Dakota § 16.1-07-13.1 Signature mismatch - Verification of signatures

North Dakota Statutes

§ 16.1-07-13.1 — Signature mismatch - Verification of signatures

North Dakota § 16.1-07-13.1

Title 16.1Elections

Ch. 16.1-07Absent Voters' Ballots and Absentee Voting

This text of North Dakota § 16.1-07-13.1 (Signature mismatch - Verification of signatures) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

N.D. Cent. Code § 16.1-07-13.1 (2026).

Text

1.If an election official, absentee ballot precinct election board, or the canvassing board has reason to suspect the absent voter's signatures on the application and the affidavit on the returned ballot envelope do not match, the election official shall notify the absent voter the signatures do not appear to match. The notification must include instructions by which the absent voter may confirm the validity of the signatures, a statement that verification is required before the ballot can be counted, the date and time of the canvassing board meeting, and a statement that verification must be completed by the absent voter before close of the meeting of the canvassing board occurring thirteen days after the election.

2.The absent voter may confirm the validity of the signatures by written

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1. If an election official, absentee ballot precinct election board, or the canvassing board
has reason to suspect the absent voter's signatures on the application and the affidavit
on the returned ballot envelope do not match, the election official shall notify the
absent voter the signatures do not appear to match. The notification must include
instructions by which the absent voter may confirm the validity of the signatures, a
statement that verification is required before the ballot can be counted, the date and
time of the canvassing board meeting, and a statement that verification must be
completed by the absent voter before close of the meeting of the canvassing board
occurring thirteen days after the election.
2. The absent voter may confirm the validity of the signatures by written communication
or personal visit to the office of the election official administering the election. If the
voter confirms by written communication, the written communication must include a
copy of the identification used when applying for the ballot. If the voter confirms
through a personal visit to the election official, the voter must show the identification
used when applying for the ballot. The election official shall make a copy of the
identification shown, and the copy must be included with the application and ballot
when provided to the election board or canvassing board, whichever would be
appropriate based on when the voter verified the signatures. The canvassing board
shall include in the final tally the ballot from an absent voter who has completed the
verification process and was eligible to vote the returned ballot.
3. An individual contacted regarding the mismatch of signatures may deny making the
application or returning the ballot. The election official receiving the denial shall turn
the application and uncounted ballot over to the county state's attorney for
investigation of attempted voter fraud.
4. The election official shall record in the minutes of the county canvassing board the
manner and number of attempts made to contact an absent voter for signature
verification, the number of ballots included in the tally because the signatures were
verified, and the number of ballots ultimately rejected by the canvassing board along
with the reasons for the rejections.
5. After the meeting of the canvassing board, the election official shall send a written
notice to each absent voter whose ballot was rejected and not counted because of
signature mismatch.