North Dakota Constitution
| North Dakota Constitution |
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| Preamble |
| Articles |
| Schedule |
The North Dakota Constitution is the state constitution of North Dakota.
- The current North Dakota Constitution was adopted in 1889.[1]
- North Dakota has had one state constitution.
- The current state constitution has 15 articles.
- The North Dakota constitution has been amended 164 times.[1]
- Voters last approved a new amendment to the state constitution on November 8, 2022.
The North Dakota Constitution can be amended with a legislative, citizen-initiated, or covention-referred constitutional amendment, all of which require voter approval.
A state constitution is the fundamental document that outlines a state's framework for governance, including the powers, structure, and limitations of the state government, individual and civil rights, and other matters.
Background
North Dakota became the 39th state on November 2, 1889. The North Dakota Constitution was adopted by a constitutional convention on August 17, 1889, and ratified by voters on October 1, 1889.[2]
Preamble
The preamble of the North Dakota Constitution states:
Article I: Declaration of Rights
- See also: Article I, North Dakota Constitution
The constitution begins with Article I establishing the basic rights of North Dakota's citizens. Article I of the North Dakota Constitution is entitled "Declaration of Rights" and consists of 25 sections.
Click here to read this article of the North Dakota Constitution.
Article II: Elective Franchise
- See also: Article II, North Dakota Constitution
Article II of the North Dakota Constitution is entitled "Elective Franchise" and consists of three sections.
Click here to read this article of the North Dakota Constitution.
Article III: Powers Reserved to the People
- See also: Article III, North Dakota Constitution
Article III of the North Dakota Constitution is entitled "Powers Reserved to the People" and consists of ten sections.
Click here to read this article of the North Dakota Constitution.
Article IV: Legislative Branch
- See also: Article IV, North Dakota Constitution
Article IV of the North Dakota Constitution is entitled "Legislative Branch" and consists of 46 sections, 29 of which have been repealed.
Click here to read this article of the North Dakota Constitution.
Article V: Executive Branch
- See also: Article V, North Dakota Constitution
Article V of the North Dakota Constitution is entitled "Executive Branch" and consists of 12 sections.
Click here to read this article of the North Dakota Constitution.
Article VI: Judicial Branch
- See also: Article VI, North Dakota Constitution
Article VI of the North Dakota Constitution is entitled "Judicial Branch" and consists of 13 sections.
Click here to read this article of the North Dakota Constitution.
Article VII: Political Subdivisions
- See also: Article VII, North Dakota Constitution
Article VII of the North Dakota Constitution is entitled "Political Subdivisions" and consists of 11 sections.
Click here to read this article of the North Dakota Constitution.
Article VIII: Education
- See also: Article VIII, North Dakota Constitution
Article VIII of the North Dakota Constitution is entitled "Education" and consists of six sections.
Click here to read this article of the North Dakota Constitution.
Article IX: Trust Lands
- See also: Article IX, North Dakota Constitution
Article IX of the North Dakota Constitution is entitled "Trust Lands" and consists of 13 sections.
Click here to read this article of the North Dakota Constitution.
Article X: Finance and Public Debt
- See also: Article X, North Dakota Constitution
Article X of the North Dakota Constitution is entitled "Finance and Public Debt" and contains 27 sections, one of which has been repealed.
Click here to read this article of the North Dakota Constitution.
Article XI: General Provisions
- See also: Article XI, North Dakota Constitution
Article XI of the North Dakota Constitution is entitled "General Provisions" and contains 29 sections.
Click here to read this article of the North Dakota Constitution.
Article XII: Corporations Other than Municipal
- See also: Article XII, North Dakota Constitution
Article XII of the North Dakota Constitution is entitled "Corporations Other Than Municipal" and consists of 17 sections, eleven of which have been repealed.
Click here to read this article of the North Dakota Constitution.
Article XIII: Compact with the United States
- See also: Article XIII, North Dakota Constitution
Article XIII of the North Dakota Constitution is entitled "Compact with the United States" and consists of four sections.
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Article XIV: Ethics Commission
- See also: Article XIV, North Dakota Constitution
Article XIV of the North Dakota Constitution is entitled "Ethics Commission" and consists of four sections. It addresses issues related to ethics in state government. Measure 1 of 2018 added Article XIV to the North Dakota Constitution.
Click here to read this article of the North Dakota Constitution.
Article XV: Term Limits
- See also: Article XV, North Dakota Constitution
Article XV of the North Dakota Constitution is entitled "Term Limits". Article XV addresses term limits. Measure 1 of 2022 added Article XV to the North Dakota Constitution.
Click here to read this article of the North Dakota Constitution.
Schedule
- See also: Schedule, North Dakota Constitution
The Transition Schedule of the North Dakota Constitution follows 13 articles and a preamble. It consists of 26 sections, the first 25 of which have been repealed.
Click here to read the schedule of the North Dakota Constitution.
Amending the North Dakota Constitution
The North Dakota Constitution provides three mechanisms for amending the state's constitution—a citizen-initiated process, a legislative process, and a state constitutional convention. Ohio requires a simple majority vote (50% plus 1) for voters to approve constitutional amendments.
Initiative
- See also: Initiated constitutional amendment
An initiated constitutional amendment is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends a state's constitution. Eighteen (18) states allow citizens to initiate constitutional amendments.
In North Dakota, the number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment is equal to 4% of the state's population reported by the last decennial census. Each initiative has its own unique deadline of one year after it was approved to circulate. The completed petition must be submitted at least 120 days prior to the election.
Legislature
A simple majority vote is required during one legislative session for the North Dakota State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 48 votes in the North Dakota House of Representatives and 24 votes in the North Dakota State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
Convention
According to Section 1 of Article III of the North Dakota Constitution, the state's initiative petition process is used to call a constitutional convention.
See also
- State constitution
- Constitutional article
- Constitutional amendment
- Constitutional revision
- Constitutional convention
- Amendments
External links
- North Dakota Legislature, "North Dakota Constitution"
- State Historical Society of North Dakota, "History of North Dakota"
Footnotes
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State of North Dakota Bismarck (capital) |
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