Primary Rules

North Dakota primary election and delegate rules

See North Dakota primary election type, who can vote in primaries, and historical 2024 Democratic and Republican delegate allocation details.

Rule and delegate context. This page combines structured primary-rule summaries with selected state, party, national, or archive source links. Presidential delegate counts are historical 2024 cycle data.

Last reviewed: August 21, 2026. Delegate counts are historical 2024 cycle data where listed. Confirm current primary voting rules with state election officials or party materials.

Who Can Vote

Can I vote in North Dakota primaries?

Primary access

North Dakota lists multiple primary classifications: Closed: Republican Presidential. Open: Democratic State, Republican State, and Democratic Presidential. Eligibility can depend on the party, office, ballot type, and election cycle.

Party and office differences

Closed: Republican Presidential. Open: Democratic State, Republican State, and Democratic Presidential.

Before you vote

Primary rules can vary by party, office, and election cycle. Confirm your current ballot eligibility with state election officials, your local election office, or the relevant political party.

Delegate context

The delegate totals on this page are historical 2024 presidential cycle data. They help explain the last presidential allocation cycle but should not be treated as current-cycle delegate counts.

Primary Type

North Dakota primary type breakdown

North Dakota is just one of five states where the state does not run the presidential primary election. Each of our counties will conduct the primary election for statewide candidates and local races; but in ND, the political parties run their own presidential primaries.

Closed: Republican Presidential
Open: Democratic State, Republican State, and Democratic Presidential

Delegates

Historical 2024 delegate allocation

2024 Democratic Delegates

17 delegate votes

Allocation: Proportional
Threshold: 15% minimum vote required

ND Democratic Party will send a total of 17 Delegate Votes (13 Pledged, 4 unpledged) and 2 Alternate delegates to the Democratic National Convention. The party will use a proportional representation system based on the results of the Presidential Primary...

2024 Republican Delegates

19 delegate votes

Allocation: Winner-Take-Most
Threshold: At least 20% of the votes

The Republican party will send a total of 29 Delegate Votes (3 district-level, 23 at-large, 3 RNC) and 26 Alternate delegates to the Republican National Convention. The party will use a Winner-Take_most representation system based on the results of the...

Sources

Sources and verification links

Questions

Common questions

What type of primary does North Dakota use?

North Dakota is listed with the following primary type classification: Closed, Open.

Can unaffiliated voters vote in North Dakota primaries?

Why does North Dakota show more than one primary type?

North Dakota can list different classifications for presidential, state, congressional, Democratic, Republican, or nonpartisan contests. The page lists the model breakdown as: Closed: Republican Presidential. Open: Democratic State, Republican State, and Democratic Presidential.

How many 2024 presidential delegates are listed for North Dakota?

The model lists 17 Democratic delegate votes and 19 Republican delegate votes for the 2024 presidential cycle.

Are North Dakota delegate totals current?

The delegate totals shown for North Dakota are historical 2024 presidential cycle data where listed. Confirm current-cycle delegate plans with official party materials or state election sources.

Where can I verify North Dakota primary rules?

Use state election materials, party materials, and selected reference links where available. This page links to Primary Elections and www.ncsl.org - Primary Types.