Election Day Petitioners, Allegedly Break Law

Jamestown (CSi) Legal action may be taken, as two individuals on election day afternoon, were asking people to sign a petition, to put a statewide measure on the ballot in the November general election, for the proposed Clean Water, Wildlife and Parks Amendment.

The two were in violation of the North Dakota Century Code, seeking petition signatures from voters, in the entryway of the lower north entrance to the Civic Center where the polls were located.

Their location was closer to the polling place than permitted by state law.

Officials asked them to move from the entryway, they moved, but not further than the required 100 feet from the entrance to the polling location.

They  purportedly became hostile, saying their constitutional rights were being infringed upon.

Law enforcement was called, with Sheriff Chad Kaiser arriving on scene, followed by  Jamestown Police.

Asking for signatures for a petition within 100 feet of the entryway to a polling place is a class A misdemeanor in North Dakota, punishable by up to a year in jail and a $3,000 fine.

Stutsman County COO Casey Bradley says, the State’s Attorney will be asked to pursue charges against them.

 BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – Opponents and supporters of a proposed North Dakota ballot measure dealing with conservation funding are at odds over the actions of people collecting petition signatures during Tuesday’s primary election.
 
     The dispute is over whether the signature collectors were too close to polling sites. State law prohibits people from soliciting voters within 100 feet of the entrance to a polling site.
 
     The group North Dakotans for Clean Water, Wildlife and Parks says it did nothing wrong while gathering signatures to try to get the proposed measure on November’s general election ballot.
 
     The opposition group North Dakotans for Common Sense Conservation says it plans to file complaints with the secretary of state’s office.
 
     The proposal seeks to set aside more of the state’s oil extraction taxes for conservation, education and recreation.