North Dakota certifies 2026 primary results; House District 26 contest qualifies for recount request
North Dakota’s State Canvassing Board certified the state’s 2026 primary election results on June 24, formally completing the canvassing process for state, judicial and legislative contests.
The certification also confirmed that the Republican nomination contest in House District 26 met the threshold for a demand recount. Kelby Timmons could request that recount within four days of the canvassing-board meeting.
The Secretary of State’s announcement did not report the vote margin in the House District 26 race. Certification does not itself establish that a recount will occur; it confirms that the contest qualified for a request under the applicable recount process.
Results submitted by county boards
The statewide certification was based on results submitted by 53 county canvassing boards. The board’s action covered the primary’s state, judicial and legislative races.
County canvassing boards are part of the process that produces the results considered by the State Canvassing Board. With the June 24 certification, the primary results became official, subject to the available recount-request procedure in the qualifying House District 26 contest.
Turnout and voting methods
North Dakota reported 125,225 eligible voters in the primary, representing statewide turnout of 20.86%.
The state said 39,644 absentee or vote-by-mail ballots were sent and 34,756 were returned, for an 87.67% return rate. North Dakota also reported 17,288 early voters.
Those figures describe participation in the primary election and the methods voters used to cast ballots. They are separate from the outcome of any individual nomination contest.
What remains in the House District 26 contest
The recount provision applied specifically to the Republican House District 26 nomination. Timmons’ opportunity to seek a recount was limited to four days after the canvassing-board meeting.
No vote margin was included in the certification announcement, and the announcement did not say whether a recount request would be filed. Unless a qualifying request was made through the prescribed process, the certified result would remain the official primary result for that contest.
The certification and the potential recount matter because the Republican nomination in House District 26 is part of the legislative ballot process leading to the November general election. The board’s June 24 action established the official primary record while preserving the limited recount option identified in the Secretary of State’s announcement.
Sources
- State Canvassing Board Certifies 2026 Primary Election Results, North Dakota Secretary of State
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