How can a legislative candidate serve central North Dakota and attend law school in Minnesota?
MINOT, N.D. — Article IV, section 5 of the North Dakota Constitution spells out the residency requirements for people who wish to serve the state in the Legislature.
“Each individual elected or appointed to the legislative assembly must be, on the day of the election or appointment, a qualified elector in the district from which the member was selected and must have been a resident of the state for one year immediately prior to that election,” it states . “An individual may not serve in the legislative assembly unless the individual lives in the district from which selected.”
The first of those requirements is simple enough. To be a qualified elector in a particular legislative district, you need only have been a resident within its boundaries for 30 days. The second is a bit more of an obstacle. A lawmaker, before taking office, must have been a citizen of the state of North Dakota for a full year prior to being elected or appointed. The third is perhaps the easiest to understand. If you want to serve a legislative district, you have to live there.
There are some questions worth asking about whether Brandon Prichard, a candidate seeking a House seat in District 8, satisfies these requirements.
