Minot, North Dakota Public Records

The Minot Police Department, available at https://minotnd.org/219/Police-Department, maintains public records related to law enforcement activities, including incident reports, arrest records, and crime statistics. Citizens can submit requests for these records through the department's online portal or by contacting the records division directly. The Minot Fire Department, accessible at https://minotnd.org/173/Fire-Department, also maintains public records related to emergency response and fire-related incidents.

Minot voters are served by the Ward County Auditor/Treasurer's Office, which administers elections for all of Ward County. The office is located at 315 3rd Street SE, Suite 100, Minot, ND 58701 (phone: 701-857-6440, website: www.co.ward.nd.us/departments/auditor-treasurer). This office handles voter registration, absentee voting, poll worker recruitment, ballot preparation, and election results tabulation for all federal, state, county, and local elections affecting Ward County residents.

North Dakota is unique among U.S. states in that it does not require voter registration. Eligible residents can vote by simply providing proof of North Dakota residency at their polling place on Election Day. Acceptable documents include a North Dakota driver's license, non-driver ID card, tribal ID, or other documents showing name and current North Dakota residential address. Those without proper ID can vote by having a registered voter from the precinct vouch for their residency. This system applies to all elections in North Dakota. However, first-time voters who registered by mail may need to show ID. More information is available at vote.nd.gov, the state's official election portal managed by the North Dakota Secretary of State.

Minot operates under a council-manager form of government with a mayor and city council elected in nonpartisan municipal elections. The mayor is elected to a four-year term, and city council members serve four-year staggered terms. Minot municipal elections are held in June of odd-numbered years (most recently 2023, next in 2025 and 2027). The next mayoral election in Minot will be in June 2027. Candidates for city offices file with the Minot City Auditor at City Hall, 515 2nd Avenue SW. Local ballot measures, if any, appear on municipal election ballots. Voters can find information about candidates and local issues through the Minot Daily News, the city's website at www.minotnd.org, and candidate forums typically held before elections.

Minot residents can find their assigned polling place by contacting the Ward County Auditor at 701-857-6440 or by visiting the North Dakota Secretary of State's polling place lookup at vote.nd.gov/portal. On Election Day, polls are typically open from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM (local time). North Dakota has same-day voting, meaning eligible residents can appear at their polling place on Election Day with proof of residency and vote without prior registration.

Under North Dakota law (N.D.C.C. Chapter 44-04), most election-related records are public. This includes precinct-level election results, which are posted by the Ward County Auditor and the Secretary of State after each election. Voter lists are not maintained due to North Dakota's no-registration system, but poll books (lists of who voted at each precinct) become public record after elections. Campaign finance reports for state and local candidates are filed with the North Dakota Secretary of State and searchable at vote.nd.gov/campaign-finance. Candidate filing information, including nominating petitions, is available through the appropriate filing office (county auditor for county offices, city auditor for city offices, Secretary of State for state and federal offices).

In the November 2024 presidential election, Ward County reported approximately 28,000-30,000 ballots cast out of an estimated voting-eligible population of 40,000-42,000, representing roughly 70% turnout, consistent with North Dakota's traditionally high voter participation rates. Ward County voters supported Republican candidates by substantial margins, reflecting the county's conservative voting patterns.

On November 3, 2026, Minot and Ward County voters will participate in midterm elections that will include the U.S. Senate race (North Dakota's Class III seat, currently held by John Hoeven, up for election in 2028; North Dakota's Class I seat currently held by Kevin Cramer is not up in 2026), the U.S. House of Representatives (North Dakota's at-large seat), and potentially the North Dakota Governor's office if the gubernatorial term cycle includes 2026. State legislative elections for North Dakota House and Senate seats representing Ward County districts will also be on the ballot, as North Dakota legislators serve four-year terms with all seats up in presidential election years and again in the subsequent midterm. County offices up for election in 2026 will likely include Ward County Commission seats (commissioners serve staggered four-year terms), and potentially other county offices depending on term expiration schedules. Voters should check with the Ward County Auditor closer to the election for confirmed candidate lists and local ballot measures.

North Dakota offers absentee voting by mail for voters who will be absent from their precinct on Election Day, are unable to vote in person due to illness or disability, or for other qualifying reasons. Absentee ballot applications are available from the Ward County Auditor's Office at 701-857-6440 or online at vote.nd.gov. Applications must be received by the county auditor by 5:00 PM the day before the election. Completed absentee ballots must be received by the auditor by the close of polls on Election Day to be counted. North Dakota does not have universal mail-in voting or no-excuse absentee voting; voters must have a qualifying reason to vote absentee.