Amid Local Control Attack; Fargo leaders defend citizen-initiated approval voting at state Capitol

Fargo is currently at a crossroads, with state lawmakers aiming to ban the city’s approval voting system through House Bill 1297. This voting method, introduced via a grassroots effort in 2018, has allowed locals to select multiple candidates they approve of in elections, a shift seen as more democratic by supporters. As the bill faces strong opposition—80% of testimonies from citizens favor keeping approval voting—city leaders emphasize Fargo’s right to govern its electoral processes. A key decision from the House Government and Veterans Affairs Committee is still pending.

Why does this matter in Minot? If the state will take this authority away in Fargo, they’ll take it away in Minot, too. And when the state prohibits local places from solving local problems, we limit the ability to deliver positive outcomes. Everyone in the state should be concerned about the attack on local control that is growing in the legislature.