Your vote matters. With pivotal local elections and statewide primaries taking place on June 11 in the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo region, staying informed about the candidates and voting in the coming weeks is crucial.

Local positions on the June 2024 ballot include:

• Fargo City Commission
• West Fargo City Commission
• Horace City Council
• Cass County Commission

In many cases, the June primary will decide the winner of local positions, while for legislative and statewide offices, it will select each party’s candidate for the general election in November.

Voting information | When, where and who
Get out and vote! If you live in North Dakota, are a U.S. Citizen and are at least 18 years old – you have the right to vote in the upcoming primary. There are several ways to vote – absentee by mail, early in person or day-of election in person.

• Early voting starts June 4. Find out when and where you can cast your ballot here.
• Election day is June 11. Find out when and where you can vote here.
• Check out who is running for each office on your ballot here.
• Get to know your local candidates on VoteFMFW.org - The Chamber’s election resource that includes Q&A with local candidates and recordings of candidate forums and debates.

Why this is important | The impact of low voter turnout
As election day draws closer, candidates will increase their outreach and campaign efforts. Unfortunately, primary elections often see low turnout, which can significantly impact local elections where margins of victory are much smaller than in state or national races. In several elections, a handful of votes have determined the outcome. These votes have a real and direct impact on citizens' experiences, influencing law enforcement, infrastructure, business climate and workforce.

Data from the North Dakota Secretary of State’s Office depicts less than 1 in 5 eligible voters in Cass County participating in primary elections. The graph below shows the percentage of registered voters participating in the last six primary and local elections for Cass County and North Dakota. Notably, in the last six election cycles, Cass County voter participation has not been above 30% and state-level participation has not exceeded 35%.