North Dakota’s Emergency Rent Bridge can provide temporary rental assistance to qualifying renters whose incomes have been impacted by COVID-19 pandemic.

RENTERS - HERE'S HOW IT WORKS: The COVID Emergency Rent Bridge Process in 5 EASY STEPS:

• Renters may determine their eligibility and apply for rental payment assistance via an online pre-qualification survey (online application).
• Once information is submitted, the renter will see a confirmation screen that tells them if they are likely to be eligible for assistance. This confirmation can be presented to the housing provider as evidence that application for assistance has been made.
• The renter will receive an email that will enable them to submit the documentation needed to complete their application.
• ERB staff will review the materials submitted and reach out with any questions.
• Once a renter is approved, the housing provider will need to register as a vendor in the North Dakota Office of Management and Budget (OMB) supplier registry and confirm details related to the renter’s tenancy. Payment will be sent directly to the housing provider. In most cases, payment will be made in the month it is due, unless a renter applies late in the month.

LEARN MORE details about North Dakota’s COVID Emergency Rent Bridge program by clicking on this information:

• Frequently Asked Questions document
• NEW Rent Bridge Flyer (Information for RENTERS)
• Rent Limits by county
• Program income limits (60% of median income by county)

HOUSING PROVIDERS - How to Register as a Housing Provider if your renter has applied for assistance:

• Get a copy of your renter’s Emergency Rent Bridge Confirmation ID Number.
• Create an account for yourself in the ND Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Supplier Registry here. Be sure to enter "COVID-ERB" as the Special Program Code. (OMB will need to validate or re-validate your account information before making the payment.) Housing providers unable to register online with OMB should contact 701-328-2538 or dhseo@nd.gov.
• Once you have your supplier ID, click this ERB Voucher Registration LINK.
• Follow the instructions on the screen. Be prepared to validate the rent due for each tenant who as applied for assistance.
• ERB staff will finish processing the request. Any approved payment will be made directly to the housing provider in the account specified.
• NEW - Rent Bridge Flyer for Housing Providers (Updated May 21, 2020)

Learn more here. 

Applications to request a ballot for the June 9 primary election will be mailed to all North Dakota voters. Voters should return their application no later than May 26th to receive a ballot in time. 

No polling locations will be open for the primary and all ballots will be issued through the mail. County commissions in all of the 53 counties authorized vote by mail for the election to reduce the public’s risk of exposure to COVID-19. The voter application list is pulled from driver’s license data and from a database of voters who have cast ballots in the past. 

Voters have the opportunity to select to receive all 2020 ballots via the mail by checking the boxes marked: all statewide elections, city elections, school elections (see examples below).

• If residents do not receive an application by May 11, they should contact their county auditor. 
• Your ballot will arrive within 10 days of submitting the application. 

After completing you Vote By Mail (absentee) application make sure to watch your mail for the Ballot. Once you receive it, complete the ballot, place the ballot inside the secretary envelope and place that inside the return envelope. sign return envelope, apply postage, and mail it or drop it off at your ballot drop off box.  If mailing, must be postmarked by June 8th.

Filling out your absentee ballot request form

1. Check all three boxes.
   • Be sure to check the three boxes for:
     • All Statewide Elections
     • City Elections
     • School Elections
2. Verify your information
   • Complete the required applicant information and sign.
3. Mail it back, ASAP!
   • Confirm that you’ve filled in the boxes and signed the form. Put the form into an enclosed, self-addressed and stamped envelope and mail it back no later than May 26, 2020.

Please note, you will receive a ballot after your application is received and verified.

Voting by mail

1. Watch for your ballot in the mail in the days after you send in your absentee ballot application.
2. Once you receive it, it’s time to vote. Grab your pen and get to work.
   • When completed, sign your return envelope, apply required postage, and send it back. You may also drop it off at a designated ballot drop box.
   • When mailing your ballot, keep in mind that it must be postmarked by June 8, 2020 with first-class postage. Confirm with the post office worker that your mail is postmarked the day you drop it off, or at least by June 8, 2020.
   • When dropping off your ballot at a drop box, note that each county will have one secure location. Contact your county auditor to find out where to go, or check this link here. Ballots can be deposited 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until 4:00 p.m. on Election Day June 9 in the county secure ballot drop box.

Questions?

1. If you’re missing your absentee ballot application, you can download a copy here.
2. Accepted forms of I.D.?
   • You will need to have a North Dakota driver’s license, a ND non-drivers I.D., a tribal I.D., or a long-term care certificate (for those in assisted living situations) in order to get a ballot.
3. What if I lose my application?
   • For help call the North Dakota Secretary of State’s Elections Unit at 701-328-4146 or toll free at 1-800-352-0867, option 6.
4. Other questions?
   • All questions about ballots or voting by mail should be directed to your county auditor. All county auditors listed here.

More information via Prairie Action on voting and vote-by-mail in North Dakota can be found here.