Part 3: In a Nutshell
- Local government is government smaller than state government.
- North Dakota is divided into 53 counties.
- County governments help the state government carry out its duties.
- The county seat is the town that contains the courthouse and county offices.
- The County Commission is the main governing body of a county.
- County officials are elected on no-party ballots.
- The sheriff is the police officer of the county.
- The state’s attorney is a lawyer who represents the state at the county level.
- The county recorder is in charge of documents.
- The county treasurer is in charge of the county’s money.
- The county auditor is the bookkeeper for the county.
- Counties are divided into squares called “townships.”
- Each township measures six miles on each side for a total of 36 sections.
- Townships are managed by three-member boards called “township supervisors” who are elected by the township residents.
- A budget is a plan for spending money.
- An assessor determines how much property is worth for tax purposes.
- A city government provides services for residents of the city.
- The mayor is the chief executive of a city.
- City laws are called ordinances.
- North Dakota has five tribal nations located within its border.
- American Indian tribes are sovereign, or self-governing.
- North Dakota state government does not have authority over the American Indian tribes located in the state.
- Each tribe has its own constitution, or plan of government.
- A chair (chairman or chairwoman) is the chief executive officer of a tribe.
- Each tribe has its own tribal council and court system.
- The North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission helps the state and the tribes work together.
- Politics is the method by which groups make decisions about government.
- A political party tries to get its candidates elected to office.
- A candidate is a person who is trying to get elected.
- The two major political parties in the United States are the Republican Party and the Democratic Party.
- Independents may sometimes vote for Republicans, sometimes for Democrats, and sometimes for third-party candidates.
- Political parties are not involved in the elections of no-party candidates.
- A North Dakota voter must be at least 18 years of age, a U.S. citizen, a resident of North Dakota, and a resident of the precinct, or voting district, for at least 30 days.
- North Dakota is the only state that does not require voter registration.
- Places to vote are called “polls.”
- Voting in the United States is done by secret ballot.
- A person may vote from home by absentee ballot which is a type of secret ballot.