Press Release: Former ND Governor Ed Schafer Launches Campaign to Defend Ballot Initiative Process
For Immediate Release
September 17, 2024
Contact:
Dustin Gawrylow
Voter Defense Association of North Dakota
701-290-9331
info@vdand.org
Press Release: Former ND Governor Ed Schafer Launches Campaign to Defend Ballot Initiative Process
Schafer, who served as Governor from 1992 to 2000, calls Constitutional Measure 2 “a three-pronged attack on our state’s ballot initiative process”
Fargo, ND – Former North Dakota Governor Ed Schafer has launched a new campaign to defeat Constitutional Measure 2, a ballot question proposed by the state legislature that would establish new restrictions on North Dakota’s ballot initiative process.
“Measure 2 is a three-pronged attack on our state’s ballot initiative process that would make it far more difficult for North Dakotans to write, qualify, and pass constitutional amendments in the future,” said Schafer. “The people of North Dakota have proven that they can be trusted to make responsible decisions at the ballot box, which is why Measure 2 is unnecessary.”
Schafer will be working with a newly formed group, the Voter Defense Association of North Dakota, which plans to campaign against Measure 2 while also building an organization capable of opposing future attempts by the legislature to restrict the ballot initiative process in North Dakota.
“The ballot initiative process is an important check on the power of politicians in our state,” said Schafer. “It’s important that we preserve it for future generations of North Dakotans.”
Measure 2 would make three significant changes to the rules governing constitutional ballot initiatives: (1) it would create new subject matter restrictions when drafting an initiative; (2) it would increase the number of signatures required to qualify for the ballot; and (3) it would require constitutional initiatives to be approved on both the primary and general election ballots.
“There is no other state in the country that requires a ballot initiative to be approved at both the primary and general elections,” said Schafer. “We should not be trying to fix a problem that does not exist.”
The North Dakota Legislative Assembly placed Measure 2 on the ballot this year after passing SCR 4013, the culmination of three years of debate following the failure of a similar proposal in 2020. That measure – also, by coincidence, named Measure 2 – was another legislatively-referred ballot question that would have significantly changed the process for passing constitutional ballot initiatives.
“Just four years ago, the legislature proposed a major change to the initiative process and it was resoundingly rejected by 62% of voters,” added Schafer. “In my opinion, making North Dakotans vote again on a proposal that restricts the people’s voice is an overreach by the legislature.”
Schafer made his announcement on Constitution Day, which celebrates the adoption of the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787 and recognizes those who have attained American citizenship.
“Just as the United States Constitution protects important freedoms, so does the North Dakota Constitution,” said Schafer. “Measure 2 would curtail our ballot initiative rights and in doing so would make it harder for North Dakota voters, residents, and taxpayers to advocate for themselves.”
After two terms as Governor of North Dakota from 1992 to 2000, Schafer later served as the 29th United States Secretary of Agriculture from 2008 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He also served as Interim President of the University of North Dakota in 2016.
The Voter Defense Association of North Dakota is a nonpartisan political organization based in Bismarck, ND. Its mission is to “defend the ballot initiative rights of North Dakota voters and ensure that laws and regulations governing electoral processes in North Dakota are reasonable, fair, and transparent.”
The official language of Measure 2 can be found here:
www.sos.nd.gov/sites/www/files/documents/services/leg-bills/2023-68/senate-res/4013.pdf
The campaign website can be found here:
www.vdand.org/
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