NORTH DAKOTA CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE III
POWERS RESERVED TO THE PEOPLE

Art. III §1 | INITIATIVE AND LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY

While the legislative power of this state shall be vested in a legislative assembly consisting of a senate and a house of representatives, the people reserve the power to propose and enact laws by the initiative, including the call for a constitutional convention; to approve or reject legislative Acts, or parts thereof, by the referendum; to propose and adopt constitutional amendments by the initiative; and to recall certain elected officials. This article is self-executing and all of its provisions are mandatory. Laws may be enacted to facilitate and safeguard, but not to hamper, restrict, or impair these powers.

Art. III §2 | PETITION REQUIREMENTS AND SUBMISSION PROCESS

A petition to initiate or to refer a measure must be presented to the secretary of state for approval as to form. A request for approval must be presented over the names and signatures of twenty-five or more electors as sponsors, one of whom must be designated as chairman of the sponsoring committee. The secretary of state shall approve the petition for circulation if it is in proper form and contains the names and addresses of the sponsors and the full text of the measure. The legislative assembly may provide by law for a procedure through which the legislative council may establish an appropriate method for determining the fiscal impact of an initiative measure and for making the information regarding the fiscal impact of the measure available to the public.

Art. III §3 | CIRCULATION AND VERIFICATION OF SIGNATURES

The petition shall be circulated only by electors. They shall swear thereon that the electors who have signed the petition did so in their presence. Each elector signing a petition shall also write in the date of signing and his post-office address. No law shall be enacted limiting the number of copies of a petition. The copies shall become part of the original petition when filed.

Art. III §4 | THRESHOLDS FOR PETITION SUBMISSION

The petition may be submitted to the secretary of state if signed by electors equal in number to two percent of the resident population of the state at the last federal decennial census.

Art. III §5 | ELECTION DEADLINES AND PETITION IMPACT

An initiative petition shall be submitted not less than one hundred twenty days before the statewide election at which the measure is to be voted upon. A referendum petition may be submitted only within ninety days after the filing of the measure with the secretary of state. The submission of a petition shall suspend the operation of any measure enacted by the legislative assembly except emergency measures and appropriation measures for the support and maintenance of state departments and institutions. The submission of a petition against one or more items or parts of any measure shall not prevent the remainder from going into effect. A referred measure may be voted upon at a statewide election or at a special election called by the governor.

Art. III §6 | SECRETARY OF STATE’S ROLE IN PETITION APPROVAL

The secretary of state shall pass upon each petition, and if the secretary of state finds it insufficient, the secretary of state shall notify the "committee for the petitioners" and allow twenty days for correction. All decisions of the secretary of state in regard to any petition are subject to review by the supreme court. But if the sufficiency of the petition is being reviewed at the time the ballot is prepared, the secretary of state shall place the measure on the ballot and no subsequent decision shall invalidate the measure if it is at the election approved by a majority of the votes cast thereon. If proceedings are brought against any petition upon any ground, the burden of proof is upon the party attacking it and the proceedings must be filed with the supreme court no later than seventy-five days before the date of the statewide election at which the measure is to be voted upon.

Art. III §7 | JUDICIAL REVIEW AND BALLOT INCLUSION

All decisions of the secretary of state in the petition process are subject to review by the supreme court in the exercise of original jurisdiction. A proceeding to review a decision of the secretary of state must be filed with the supreme court no later than seventy-five days before the date of the statewide election at which the measure is to be voted upon. If the decision of the secretary of state is being reviewed at the time the ballot is prepared, the secretary of state shall place the measure on the ballot and no court action shall invalidate the measure if it is approved at the election by a majority of the votes cast thereon.

Art. III §8 | ENACTMENT AND REPEAL OF INITIATED MEASURES

If a majority of votes cast upon an initiated or a referred measure are affirmative, it shall be deemed enacted. An initiated or referred measure which is approved shall become law thirty days after the election, and a referred measure which is rejected shall be void immediately. If conflicting measures are approved, the one receiving the highest number of affirmative votes shall be law. A measure approved by the electors may not be repealed or amended by the legislative assembly for seven years from its effective date, except by a two-thirds vote of the members elected to each house.

Art. III §9 | CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT VIA INITIATIVE

A constitutional amendment may be proposed by initiative petition. If signed by electors equal in number to four percent of the resident population of the state at the last federal decennial census, the petition may be submitted to the secretary of state. All other provisions relating to initiative measures apply hereto.

Art. III §10 | RECALL PROCESS FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS

Any elected official of the state, of any county or of any legislative or county commissioner district shall be subject to recall by petition of electors equal in number to twenty-five percent of those who voted at the preceding general election for the office of governor in the state, county, or district in which the official is to be recalled.

The petition shall be filed with the official with whom a petition for nomination to the office in question is filed, who shall call a special election if he finds the petition valid and sufficient. No elector may remove his name from a recall petition.

The name of the official to be recalled shall be placed on the ballot unless he resigns within ten days after the filing of the petition. Other candidates for the office may be nominated in a manner provided by law. When the election results have been officially declared, the candidate receiving the highest number of votes shall be deemed elected for the remainder of the term. No official shall be subject twice to recall during the term for which he was elected.

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NORTH DAKOTA CONSTITUTIONARTICLE IIIPOWERS RESERVED TO THE PEOPLE

Art. III §1 | INITIATIVE AND LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY

Art. III §2 | PETITION REQUIREMENTS AND SUBMISSION PROCESS

Art. III §3 | CIRCULATION AND VERIFICATION OF SIGNATURES

Art. III §4 | THRESHOLDS FOR PETITION SUBMISSION

Art. III §5 | ELECTION DEADLINES AND PETITION IMPACT

Art. III §6 | SECRETARY OF STATE’S ROLE IN PETITION APPROVAL

Art. III §7 | JUDICIAL REVIEW AND BALLOT INCLUSION

Art. III §8 | ENACTMENT AND REPEAL OF INITIATED MEASURES

Art. III §9 | CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT VIA INITIATIVE

Art. III §10 | RECALL PROCESS FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS

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