Your voice.
Your vote.
The future of
our public schools.
North Dakota public schools - our students, their families, and the educators who come through their doors each day - are directly impacted by those who show up to vote in elections and the individuals we elect at the ballot box. No matter what party or candidate you choose, ND4PS encourages you to ask questions, be informed, and vote for individuals who will stand up for public schools and champion public education in their votes, words, and actions!
What’s on the 2026 ballot
In 2026, North Dakota will have two major elections: The Primary Election is on June 9, 2026, and the General Election will be held on November 3, 2026.
The Primary Election is too often overlooked but is an incredibly important election because many local officials - those making decisions closest to our communities, like school board members and city leaders - are elected and also when some constitutional, statutory, citywide, or school bond measures are decided.
To learn more about local races, candidates, and issues, enter your address into resources like vote411.org/ballot or vote.nd.gov.
The Primary Election also determines which candidates running for state-level offices will move on to the General Election. Voters will choose to vote for either the Republican candidates OR Democratic-NPL candidates in odd-numbered legislative districts (as well as a few special elections in even-numbered legislative districts to fill unexpired terms) and many statewide offices. We will also choose which two of three candidates running to be Superintendent of Public Instruction (listed on your ballot as “No-Party”) will move forward to the General Election.
ND Superintendent of Public Instruction
About the office: The Superintendent of Public Instruction leads the ND Department of Public Instruction (ND DPI) and is responsible for drafting and communicating state education policy and advising and assisting school districts in interpreting and complying with state and federal laws and regulations that affect public education.
The superintendent’s duties include oversight of elementary and secondary education, school approval, development of content standards, and assessments of student progress. The superintendent regulates the credentialing of administrators, counselors, and other education specialists. The superintendent is in charge of implementing a uniform system for accounting, budgeting, and reporting of school district data, and for publishing annual reports on school finance and employee compensation.
In addition to the Department of Public Instruction, the superintendent oversees the State Library, the North Dakota Center for Distance Education, the North Dakota School for the Deaf/Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Devils Lake, and North Dakota Vision Services/School for the Blind in Grand Forks.
The superintendent is a member of numerous state boards, including the Board of University & School Lands, the Teachers’ Fund for Retirement, the Education Standards and Practices Board, the Board for Career and Technical Education, and the state Educational Technology Council.
The superintendent is also a member of the board of directors for the North Dakota High School Activities Association and a member of the nominating committee for the Board of Higher Education.
About the Candidates in 2026
Traditionally elected to a serve a 4-year term, in 2026, the following candidates will run to fulfill an unexpired 2-year term.
The Superintendent of Public Instruction position is elected on a “No-Party Ballot.” You may vote for ONE candidate in the Primary Election, and the TOP TWO vote-getters in the Primary Election will move forward to the General Election, where the top vote-getter will be elected to serve.
Levi Bachmeier
(Appointed in 2025 by Governor Armstrong following the resignation of the previous Superintendent, Kirsten Baesler.)
Campaign website: levibachmeier.com
Social media: facebook.com/levibachmeierDPI
Current Officeholder
Tracy Layne Foss
Campaign website: fossforeducation.com
Social media: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574238181035
Candidate
CandidateCharles Tuttle
Campaign website: N/A
Social media: www.facebook.com/chastuttle or www.facebook.com/Tuttle4ND
State Legislature - ND Senate & ND House of Representatives
ND4PS has created a quick guide that includes information about every legislative district in ND that is on the ballot in 2026. There are a number of contested legislative races this Primary Election, that outcomes of which could have a big effect on public education in our state. It’s important for North Dakotans to know where incumbents have stood and where all candidates stand on issues of importance to public schools, what professional experience they may have within public education, and how and where you can learn more about who they are, what they say, and how they would represent their district and our state in the legislature if elected.
Click on the guide below to learn more about legislative candidates up for election in 2026…
Election Resources
Vote.ND.gov
Vote.ND.gov provides information about ND Voter ID requirements, ways to vote (by absentee/vote-by-mail, early vote, or on Election Day), where to vote, and who/what is on the ballot.
These resources are available through the Office of the Secretary of State, which oversees elections in ND and works to ensure North Dakotans can voice their vote through the election process and participate in democracy.
Vote411.org
Vote411.org provides personalized voting information and resources like the “Your Voters’ Guide,” which helps you learn where candidates running for office stand, in their own words, on issues.
These resources are developed by the League of Women Voters of North Dakota, a nonpartisan organization that protects voting rights, shares voter information, and helps people take part in government.