The full picture · 7 sources
North Dakota 2026 general election turnout hits 39.9%, lowest in 50 years
Updated Nov 3, 11:38 PM CT. Every fact below links to the source that reported it.
What the primary sources show
- North Dakota voters went to the polls on Election Day to decide statewide and legislative races, two statewide measures, and one local measure. [Bismarck Tribune]
- The Secretary of State reported 239,488 ballots cast, or 39.9% of eligible voters, the lowest general election turnout in the state in 50 years. [KFYR-TV]
- The previous low was 43% in the 2022 general election. [KFYR-TV]
- Of the election night total, 135,529 ballots were cast on Election Day, 50,493 by early vote, and 53,466 by absentee or mail ballot. [KFYR-TV]
- Earlier midday Secretary of State reports showed 128,000 ballots at 10 a.m. CT, 162,000 at 1 p.m., and 195,000 at 4 p.m., so those were interim counts. [KFYR-TV] [KFYR-TV] [KFYR-TV]
- Results remain unofficial until county canvassing boards meet on November 16, and the State Canvassing Board certifies them on November 18. [KFYR-TV]
- The Secretary of State said 3,000 poll workers helped run the election across all 53 counties. [KFYR-TV]
What they left out / still unanswered
- What were the final results for the House race and the other statewide races?
- What does the local measure ask voters, and did it pass?
- What were the results of the two statewide measures?
Official line vs. how each source framed it
- Bismarck Tribune: A live-update framing that lists the races and measures on the ballot but reports no turnout figures or results. Read it → · Paywall
- Bismarck Tribune: A results landing page that tells readers to check after 8 p.m. CT, with no vote totals in the text. Read it → · Paywall
- KFYR-TV: Reported the Secretary of State's 10 a.m. CT interim count of 128,000 voters, or 21% turnout, and noted that unofficial results would start at 8 p.m. CT. Read it → · Ads
- KFYR-TV: Reported the Secretary of State's 1 p.m. interim count of 162,000 voters, or 27% turnout, with another update due at 4 p.m. Read it → · Ads
- KFYR-TV: Reported the Secretary of State's 4 p.m. interim count of 195,000 voters, or 32% turnout, framed as a statewide figure. Read it → · Ads
- KX News: Titled as unofficial results, but the text contains no vote totals, only unrelated shopping and navigation content, so nothing here can be verified. Read it → · Ads
- KFYR-TV: Gave the official election night turnout of 39.9%, the full breakdown by voting method, and a quote from Secretary of State Michael Howe on poll workers and turnout. Read it → · Ads
701 News writes these summaries from the sources above and checks every sentence against them. Read the originals for the full reporting. Corrections