Constitutional Measure 2 - Relating to Initiated Constitutional Amendments

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FAILED

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LIBERAL

BALLOT LANGUAGE

This constitutional measure would amend and reenact sections 2, 3, 4, and 9 of article III of the Constitution of North Dakota, relating to initiated constitutional amendments. The proposed amendments would require both constitutional and non-constitutional initiated measures to be limited to one subject as determined by the Secretary of State, who may not approve the initiated petition if it comprises more than one subject; require that measure sponsors be qualified electors; require that only qualified electors may circulate a petition; require petition signers to provide a complete residential address; and increase the number of signatures required to place a constitutional initiated measure on the ballot from four percent to five percent of the North Dakota resident population. Additionally, the proposed amendments would require that constitutional initiated measures approved by the Secretary of State be voted upon by the voters at the next primary election and, if approved by a majority of the voters, voted upon at the general election immediately following the primary election; if the measure fails at either the primary or general election, the measure is deemed failed.

The estimated fiscal impact of this measure is none.

WHAT IT MEANS

Yes

A "Yes" vote means that you desire to amend the North Dakota Constitution to require that:

  • all petitions and measures be limited to a single subject.
  • all measure sponsors and those circulating petitions must be "qualified" electors, meaning they are a citizen of North Dakota who is registered to vote.
  • the number of signatures required to place a measure on the ballot increase from four to five percent of the North Dakota population.
  • all constitutional measures be voted on at the primary and general elections and pass both in order to be enacted into law.

Passage of this measure will ensure better representation for North Dakota citizens and tighter security when amending the Constitution.

No

A "No" vote will keep current North Dakota law regarding initiated constitutional amendments which:

  • states no limit on the number of subjects per amendment.
  • does not require a sponsoring and/or circulating elector to be "qualified", which can allow for well-funded out of state individuals or organizations to sponsor amendments.
  • only requires signatures from four percent of the North Dakota population to place a measure on the ballot.
  • does not require passage in both the primary and general elections.

Rejection of this measure leaves the possibility of wealthy outside interests influencing North Dakota's constitutional changes and makes it easier for focused groups to get measures on the ballot.

ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST

Yes

  • “The North Dakota Constitution stands naked on Main Street. So, anyone out of state with a couple of million dollars can attach it to a dart and just throw it into our state and change our Constitution. It is way too easy.” - Janne Myrdal, North Dakota State Senator  

[Source]

  • “It’s really not fair to the voters to introduce three or four different subjects in the same measure. Amending our state constitution should not be a Sunday walk in the park, so we think people should have a chance to vote on it and really decide if they want to pass this and impose this on generations to come.” - David Hogue, North Dakota State Senator 

[Source]

  • “This is not the legislature taking power from the people, this is the legislature putting it before the voters for the voters to consider whether or not these protections should be in place for the constitution. Just on the mood of the moment. When some crisis happens, we have to change it. We need to prevent that kind of mentality. I think it provides transparency, it provides that opportunity for better informed votes." - Dick Dever, North Dakota State Senator 

[Source]

No

  • "Measure 2 is a three-pronged attack on our state’s ballot initiative process that would make it far more difficult for North Dakotans to write, qualify, and pass constitutional amendments in the future. The ballot initiative process is an important check on the power of politicians in our state – we should preserve it." - Voter Defense Association of North Dakota

[Source]

  • “The proposed amendment is part of a trend of Republican-controlled states moving to restrict the ballot measure process in recent years. Voters in many states have used the process to enact policies over the objections of Republican legislators, such as protections for reproductive freedoms, minimum wage increases and Medicaid expansion.” - Democracy Docket  

[Source]

  • “Measure 2 is the Legislature’s attempt to save the people from themselves. They believe that the voters are being hoodwinked by all this out-of-state money, and that the voters are not educated enough to vote the right way. We think that the voters who put those very legislators in office are more than capable of figuring out what’s going on with the various measures, and that the desire for the Legislature to have a veto over the will of the people is contrary to our state constitution as it stands, because it would change the way that our ‘powers reserved to the people’ are actually truly reserved.” - Dustin Gawrylow, North Dakota's Watchdog Update 

[Source]

FINANCIAL BACKING

The following information provides insight into the money being spent to pass or defeat the ballot measure.

Yes

NORTH DAKOTA CONSTITUTIONAL MEASURE 2, SINGLE-SUBJECT REQUIREMENT FOR INITIATIVES AND REQUIRE CONSTITUTIONAL INITIATIVES TO BE PASSED TWICE AMEMNDMENT (2024).

This question is on the ballot in North Dakota as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 5, 2024. As of September 29, 2024, no committee to support or oppose the amendment has been identified. Thus, there is no record of funds raised to support either position.

No

NORTH DAKOTA CONSTITUTIONAL MEASURE 2, SINGLE-SUBJECT REQUIREMENT FOR INITIATIVES AND REQUIRE CONSTITUTIONAL INITIATIVES TO BE PASSED TWICE AMEMNDMENT (2024).

This question is on the ballot in North Dakota as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 5, 2024. As of September 29, 2024, no committee to support or oppose the amendment has been identified. Thus, there is no record of funds raised to support either position.

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