Early voting in Ward County begins Thursday at the Courthouse in Minot.
Residents also can mark their general election ballots at early voting that continues on Friday, and Oct. 29 through 31 and Nov. 1. Poll hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Devra Smestad, county auditor, reminds voters to bring a form of identification. A passport, driver's license or other government-issued ID is sufficient, but people also can provide a utility bill with name and address or a change of address form from the post office, indicating residency at that location for at least the past 30 days. They should also bring a document verifying date of birth.
Minot residents who choose to vote at their polling place on Nov. 6 will find changes to make the process go more smoothly. Minot reduced the number of its polling places, and the long lines and waits during the June primary prompted the county to make adjustments for November.
At the southwest location at Maysa Arena, where voter congestion was keen at times, the number of poll books for voter sign-in will be increased from five to seven and they will be relocated to the atrium. Rather than the 19 different ballot styles as in the primary, there will be a handful of styles, and the ballot will be one page instead of two.
"Just getting their ballots will process much quicker. All the scanners are programmed alike so they can put in any ballot," Smestad said. "Just those few changes will move things along considerably."
Fact Box
Where to go for more information:
- North Dakota Secretary of State at (www.nd.gov/sos/electionvote)
- ND Feeding Families at (ndfeedingfamilies.com)
- North Dakota Farmers Union Voters Guide at (ndfu.org)
- Smoke-Free North Dakota at (smokefreend.com)
- North Dakotans to Stop Animal Cruelty at (ndstopcruelty.com)
- North Dakota Animal Stewards at (ndanimalstewards.com)
- North Dakotans for Responsible Animal Care at (ndanimalcare.com)
Changes with the ballot and scanners will affect all the Minot polling places. The city also has moved the northwest location from Calvary Alliance Church to Lewis and Clark Elementary School.
Other polling places are the Church of Christ in the northeast and First Assembly of God in the southeast.
A person age 18 or older is eligible to vote if a U.S. citizen and North Dakota resident. People must have lived in their precincts for 30 days to vote in those precincts. A person may have only one residence. State law defines residence as the place where a person remains when not called elsewhere for labor or other temporary purpose and to which the person returns when not engaged in those temporary activities.