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HB 1424

Cities and towns; unfair labor practice; Public Employees Relations Board; arbitrator selection; fees and expenses; effective date.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Mike Kelley and 1 co-sponsor

HB 1424 creates district endorsement procedures with a seven-day hold and a short complaint/investigation process that can delay ballot placement, plus a nominating petition fallba

Coauthored by Senator Weaver
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 1424

HB 1424 — District endorsements; certificates of endorsement; placement on primary ballot (North Dakota)

Status and basic info
- Bill: HB 1424 (North Dakota)
- Sponsor: Rep. Koppelman
- Introduced: Nov 20, 2024
- Most recent status reported: Second reading — failed to pass (yeas 3, nays 86)
- Statutory targets: Adds a new section to NDCC ch. 16.1‑03 and amends NDCC §§ 16.1‑11‑06 and 16.1‑11‑10

Purpose and intent
HB 1424 would create a formal procedure for district‑level party endorsements (endorsing caucuses), establish a complaint and investigative process when endorsement procedures are challenged, and change how and when party endorsement certificates are forwarded for placement of a candidate’s name on the primary election ballot.

Key provisions and changes
- District endorsing caucuses
- Authorizes district party organizations (per NDCC §16.1‑03‑21) to hold endorsing caucuses conducted according to their internal rules and bylaws.
- After a caucus, the district chairman signs a certificate of endorsement and the candidate forwards that certificate as required under NDCC §16.1‑11‑06.

  • Seven‑day hold before forwarding/placement

    • Upon receipt of a district certificate, the state party chairman may not sign and forward the certificate to the Secretary of State for placement on the primary ballot for at least seven days.

  • Complaint and investigation process

    • Any person who claims the caucus was not conducted according to the district organization’s rules may file a complaint:
    • Filing deadline: within seven days after the state committee receives the certificate of endorsement.
    • Initial review by the party’s inquiry committee (defined as the state committee or a committee created under its bylaws).
    • If inquiry committee finds complaint without merit, the state party chairman signs and forwards the certificate to the Secretary of State.
    • If the inquiry committee (or Secretary of State in some versions) reasonably believes a violation occurred, the complaint is forwarded to the Attorney General (or the inquiry committee conducts the investigation in engrossed versions).
    • Investigation deadline: the Attorney General (or inquiry committee) must complete the investigation within seven days of receiving the complaint and issue a written determination.
    • If the endorsement is found valid, the certificate is signed/forwarded and the candidate is placed on the primary ballot.
    • If invalid, the certificate is void and the district organization must hold a new caucus.

  • Back‑up via nominating petition

    • If a timely valid certificate cannot be filed (by 4:00 p.m. on the 64th day before the primary), the certificate is void. If rescheduling the caucus will miss filing deadlines, affected candidates may instead circulate nominating petitions under NDCC §16.1‑11‑06.

  • Amendments to ballot filing rules (NDCC §16.1‑11‑06)

    • Clarifies filing requirements and contents for certificates of endorsement and nominating petitions.
    • States that if a political party issues certificates of endorsement for an office, no other candidate seeking the same office may appear on the primary ballot as a representative of that same party.

Who would be affected
- Political parties (state and district organizations) — must follow internal rules for caucuses and participate in the inquiry process.
- Party chairs at district and state levels — new duties and timing restrictions (7‑day hold).
- Candidates for federal and state offices and judicial offices — procedures for endorsement, possible delays in ballot placement, and fallback to nominating petitions if endorsements are void or untimely.
- Secretary of State and Attorney General — new review/coordination roles when complaints arise; potential short timeframes for review.

Procedural and timeline aspects to note
- Complaint windows and investigatory timelines are short: seven days to file a complaint after receipt of the certificate; seven days for the Attorney General/inquiry committee to complete an investigation.
- Filing deadline for certificates or petitions remains 4:00 p.m., sixty‑four days before the primary; a certificate not filed by that deadline is void.
- The bill failed second reading in the reported vote (3–86); as written it did not advance in that session.

Potential impacts (practical considerations)
- Introduces an administrative review layer that could delay finalization of primary ballots for up to a week (or longer if investigations are contested).
- Could increase use of attorney general resources or party inquiry committees to resolve intra‑party disputes.
- Provides a clear fallback (nominating petition) to protect candidates’ ballot access when endorsement processes break down or deadlines are missed.
- Encourages parties to document and follow internal rules for endorsements to avoid challenges.

This summary captures HB 1424’s core mechanics as drafted: new district endorsement procedures, a short challenge and investigation process tied to party certificates of endorsement, and amendments to ballot‑placement timelines and filing rules.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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