North Dakota Voters Reject Measure 1 Constitutional Supermajority Amendment

North Dakota Voters Reject Measure 1 to Raise Constitutional Amendment Threshold to 60%

North Dakota voters rejected a constitutional amendment on Tuesday that would have raised the approval threshold for future amendments from a simple majority to a 60% supermajority. Unofficial election results from the North Dakota Secretary of State Office show that 56.5% of state residents voted against the measure, stopping a push that had drawn millions of dollars in campaign spending from both local and national organizations.

The rejected proposal, known as Measure 1, specifically targeted future alterations to the state constitution while leaving statutory and municipal ballot measures untouched. Originating in January 2025 through an effort by a handful of Republican state lawmakers, the amendment was initially sponsored in the House by Representatives Robin Weisz of Hurdsfield, Glenn Bosch and Lawrence Klemin of Bismarck, and Mike Lefor of Dickinson. In the Senate, the proposal drew support from lawmakers including David Hogue of Minot, Janne Myrdal of Edinburg, and Kathy Hogan of Fargo.

The Campaign Divide Over State Law and Outside Money

Catholic Church leaders in North Dakota backed the amendment. John Folda and David Kagan, the bishops of the Fargo and Bismarck dioceses, urged their congregations to support Measure 1 in a joint statement issued last month.

We support Measure 1 because it will promote the common good, protect the integrity of our state Constitution, and help preserve North Dakota’s pro-life laws. Requiring broader agreement helps ensure that constitutional changes reflect a genuine consensus rather than the temporary political circumstances of a particular election.

The bishops also argued that the higher voting threshold would protect the state from outside interests attempting to establish immoral laws, referencing potential future challenges to North Dakota’s near-total ban on abortion. Groups such as the North Dakota AFL-CIO and North Dakota United, which represents thousands of teachers across the state, campaigned against it.

Amy Jacobson, executive director of Prairie Action North Dakota, articulated the opposition’s core concern during an October event in Fargo, warning that a minority vote would be able to overrule the will and the vote of the majority.

Financial disclosures show the high stakes of the election. Advocacy groups on both sides poured millions of dollars into the state. One prominent opposition committee, Protect the North Dakota Constitution, raised more than $1.75 million, with a majority of those funds originating from the Washington, D.C.-based Fairness Project. Meanwhile, the StrongND Fund, which received backing from North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong, infused just under $1 million into advocacy efforts designed to secure passage of the amendment.

With Tuesday’s vote, the threshold for amending the North Dakota Constitution remains at a simple majority.

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