Dakota Datebook: North Dakota's ratification of the 19th Amendment (Part 2) Thursday, December 5, 2019

Prairie Public

Governor Lynn Frazier had called a special session in late November 1919 that addressed, among other issues, the proposed 19th Amendment to the US Constitution to grant women the right to vote. The House and Senate both voted in favor by December 1st, and it was signed by both branches on December 4th.

With the legislature's vote, North Dakota became the 20th state to approve ratification. Sister State South Dakota also passed it, becoming the 21st state to approve ratification.

However, the vote was not unanimous. In the House, Legislator Herman Hardt, of Napoleon, who had been a dissenting voice, stated: "I wish to explain my vote. The reason I vote "no" on this is that four years ago, this same question was submitted to the people of the State of North Dakota, and it was then rejected, and as the majority of the people of my district are opposed to it unless they have a vote on it, ...I believe that it properly should be referended by the people at large."

Read more at: https://news.prairiepublic.org/post/north-dakotas-ratification-19th-amendment-part-2