League of Women Voters of North Dakota, CLC Join Suit to Protect Mail-In Voting Process in North Dakota

Fargo, ND – Today, the League of Women Voters of North Dakota (LWVND), represented by Campaign Legal Center (CLC), filed a motion seeking to intervene on behalf of voters and LWVND members to defend against a challenge to the state's mail-in voting processes.

Last month, the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) filed suit on behalf of Burleigh County Recorder Mark Splonskowski seeking to prevent election officials from counting mail-in ballots that are mailed before but received after Election Day. Under current North Dakota law, otherwise, valid mail-in ballots postmarked up to the day before Election Day must be counted so long as they are received prior to the vote canvassing deadline, 13 days after Election Day. 

North Dakota is one of several states that set uniform deadlines for the counting of mail-in ballots and help ensure postal issues don’t prevent voters from having their timely ballots counted.

“Voting by mail is a convenient and secure way to vote that allows North Dakotans – and voters across the country – to make their voices heard in our elections,” said Molly Danahy, senior legal counsel for litigation at Campaign Legal Center. “A hallmark of our democracy is that every vote counts and that means we must count every vote. We look forward to joining the League of Women Voters of North Dakota in challenging the lawsuit’s faulty logic.”

"Voting by mail is not only convenient but also critical for increased voter access and equity to the ballot,” said Barbara Headrick, president of the League of Women Voters of North Dakota. “All North Dakotans deserve equal access to the ballot and confidence that their vote will be counted. The League of Women Voters will continue to advocate for North Dakota voters to ensure their votes are not compromised by those who seek to dismantle our democracy.”

"Voting should be a simple process, not a confusing one," said Celina Stewart, chief counsel and senior director of advocacy and litigation at the League of Women Voters of the US. "It is our core mission to ensure that all voters, in North Dakota and across the country, have increased access to the ballot, and that includes voting by mail. The League of Women Voters will continue to fight for voters when bad actors seek to silence them and sow distrust in our elections."

More information about the case can be found here.

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