Members of the North Dakota House of Representatives participate in a special session of the Legislature on Jan. 22, 2026. (Photo by Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)
BISMARCK (North Dakota Monitor) – The North Dakota Supreme Court on Thursday found a term limits ballot measure advanced by state lawmakers to be unconstitutional and directed the secretary of state to not place it on the November ballot.
Legislators in 2025 adopted Senate Resolution 4008, which aimed to ask voters whether to amend lawmaker term limits they approved in 2022.
North Dakota lawmakers can serve no more than eight years in the House and eight years in the Senate after the passage of Article XV of the state constitution.
The proposed amendment that was headed to voters sought to allow lawmakers to serve up to 16 years in either chamber. It also sought to make it so partial terms don’t count against term limits.
The ballot measure was challenged by former Minot Republican lawmaker Sen. Oley Larsen and Grand Forks County commissioner Terry Bjerke, who were members of the sponsoring committee for the 2022 ballot measure.
The Supreme Court sided with the challengers, finding that the ballot measure violates a clause in Article XV of the state constitution that bars the Legislature from proposing any constitutional amendments to term limits.
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