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In a “Tale of Two Measures” One of the country’s campaigns that succeeded in its goal of encouraging voters to shake up power in North Dakota politics, another that found its goal denied at the ballot box during voters chose the legality of marijuana prohibition.
Despite their different results, both approaches are similar to the ballot box. It received significant funding and support from organizations outside the government, and faced local opposition that reached less than six weeks before the election.
The official totals for Measure 1 are 149,923 precinct votes and 86,472 abstentions. Going forward, those elected to the state Legislature will be limited to two four-year terms in each House and Senate, and only eight years as governor. Those who live now will be grandfathered under the new limits, with their eight-year clock starting at their current times.
Jared Hendrix, chairman of ND for Term Limits, released a statement thanking the people of North Dakota for their support, saying the state will reap the benefits the reforms will bring.
“This victory is even more important when you consider the great opposition of our movement from the political establishment,” Hendrix said. “In the fall campaign, almost all the special interest politicians and influential politicians have been working to oppose our work for a long time. However, despite all this, the annual limits remain.
The winning Measure 1 almost didn’t pass after thousands of signatures were collected by Secretary of State Al Jaeger. The Measure 1 advocacy committee took its case to the North Dakota Supreme Court, which ruled that Jaeger had erred in denying the majority of signatures, because the Limits Act was a final addition to the ballot.
“We fought a long legal battle with the secretary of state’s attempt to block our measure in the election, which was upheld by the state’s Supreme Court,” Hendrix said. “This is a huge victory for everyday North Dakotans. They always know that the power of fashion is on the political side. Time limits can be a problem for artists and political parties, but they need to be fixed.”
Opponents of Measure 1 were late to enter the field. Rep. Mike Nathe of Bismarck their work because of the sudden decision of the Supreme Court, less than two weeks before the start of early voting to prepare and report.
“No one said a measure that alleges fraud would be included on the ballot. As Attorney General Drew Wrigley said, ‘How much fraud is too much fraud?’ That decision was a black eye to the North Dakota Supreme Court. By putting this measure on the ballot, they didn’t have a chance to challenge it,”
Nathe said. “I’m proud of the team and what we’ve achieved and the time we’ve had. We really moved the needle, and I believe that if we had another month, we could have defeated this measure. It’s not a fair fight.”
Nathe said there is a lot of confusion among constituencies around the measure, and it could be dangerous for the state as annual districts begin to come into play later.
“I’m worried about the future of the government. Maybe we need to change the role of the Legislature to correct the lack of experience. governor’s office, by releasing this. I don’t think the public really understood what he was doing,” Nathe said.
Measure 2 was a narrower exercise, with 107,299 voters in favor but 130,873 opposed to legalizing the possession and sale of marijuana. Dr. Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana Action, supported the opposition committee, saying the result, “a major victory for public health, science and common sense.”
Marijuana legalization takes a more direct approach to the ballot box and New Approach North Dakota makes it easier to get the necessary signatures for a legal measure. Advocates for marijuana legalization in North Dakota have stayed out of the 2020 election after coming up short in 2018.
New Approach North Dakota modeled its 2022 effort on a Republican-backed bill passed in the state House, and raised $600,000 in funding from outside organizations and investors. Medicine. NAND managed to overcome the threshold for signature requirements to appear on the ballot, gathering strength and support from the four major state newspapers and support from experts. of both sides of the political divide.
The measure attempted to reduce common concerns about the legalization of marijuana by prohibiting public use, authorizing state owners to restrict their possessions and imposing regulations on its production. and sales. However, concerns about the potential, with ads in the industry allegedly targeting children, began to emerge as election day approached.
The NAND only realized 5% more votes than four years earlier. After mounting opposition from Healthy and Productive North Dakota as well as opposition from members of the health and legal community, North Dakota did not join Maryland and Missouri, becoming the 20th state with 21 to legalize marijuana on Sunday.
“This is a popular victory. North Dakota voters have twice rejected the legalization of marijuana, giving a big message that North Dakotans come first,” Sabet said, “Despite spending money, our team worked hard to educate voters about the dangers of legalization.”
The representatives of NAND could not be reached for their future plans. Options include pushing the legislation in the next term or trying another ballot measure in 2024.
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