North Dakota Measure 1 would set 60% amendment threshold

What Measure 1 would change

North Dakota voters will decide in November whether to make it harder for future constitutional amendments to pass. Measure 1 would raise the required approval from a simple majority of more than 50% to at least 60%.

The change concerns the share of voter approval needed for future amendments to the state Constitution. A proposal receiving more than half of the vote could still fail if it did not reach the new 60% threshold. For example, 59% approval would be enough under the current majority rule but would not meet the standard proposed by Measure 1.

The measure changes the threshold for approval, not the wording of any separate future amendment. Each future constitutional proposal would still appear as its own question, but it would need to clear the higher percentage if Measure 1 takes effect.

What a vote means

A “yes” vote supports requiring at least 60% approval for future amendments to the North Dakota Constitution. A “no” vote supports keeping the current requirement of more than 50% approval.

The distinction is between a simple majority and a higher supermajority requirement. Under the current standard, an amendment passes when support exceeds opposition. Under Measure 1, support would have to reach the specified 60% mark.

What voters will decide

The November decision is about the rules governing later constitutional amendment votes. The immediate question is whether majority approval should remain sufficient or whether future amendments should face the 60% requirement.