The City of Fargo will hold a Special Election on Tuesday, Oct. 6. Fargo residents who want to vote before Election Day must apply for an absentee ballot as there will be no early voting location for this election. The ballot measure will ask voters whether to change Fargo’s form of government from a commission to a council. For the measure to pass, more than 50% of the votes cast on the question must be in favor of the change.
The Fargo City Commission currently has five members, including the mayor. The mayor and four commissioners are elected at large, and each has one equal vote on matters before the commission. Under the proposed council form of government, six council members would be elected from six wards, and a mayor would be elected at large. The mayor generally would not vote on council matters except to break a tie, but could veto ordinances and resolutions. A veto could be overridden by a two-thirds vote of the council.
A sample ballot, the petition that initiated the ballot measure and other election information are available at FargoND.gov/SpecialElection.
Absentee Voting
Residents who want to vote before Election Day must submit an absentee ballot application, and the ballot will be mailed to them. The absentee ballot application is available at FargoND.gov/SpecialElection.
Fargo residents may return completed absentee ballot applications by:
• Mail: City of Fargo Auditor’s Office, P.O. Box 2471, Fargo, ND 58108
• Secure drop box: A blue drop box is located on the west side of Fargo City Hall, 225 4th St. N. Applications should be placed in an envelope labeled “Auditor’s Office” and include the applicant’s name and contact information.
Voted absentee ballots must be returned to the Auditor’s Office by mail or the secure drop box at City Hall. Voted absentee ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 6. Voted absentee ballots may not be returned to an Election Day voting location.
In-Person Voting on Election Day
Voting locations for the Special Election will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 6. Fargo voters may vote at one of the following locations:
• FARGODOME - 1800 University Drive N. (Use the main entrance)
• Atonement Lutheran Church - 4601 University Drive S. (Use the west entrance - Door 8)
• Fargo Civic Center - 207 4th St. N. (Use the main entrance)
To vote in the election, a person must be at least 18 years old, a United States citizen, a North Dakota resident and a Fargo resident for at least 30 days before the election. North Dakota does not have a formal voter registration process. Voters should bring an accepted form of identification to the polling site. Accepted identification includes a North Dakota driver’s license, a non-driver’s identification card, an ID issued by a tribal government or a long-term care identification certificate.