

Roland Riemers

For the first time in party history, the North Dakota Libertarian Party has met the vote test to attain ballot access.

In a non-presidential general election, the candidate for attorney general or secretary of state must get at least 5 percent of the vote for automatic ballot access.

Roland Riemers, the LPND candidate for secretary of state, received 5.3 percent of the vote in the election last Tuesday.

This is only the second time a minor party has met the vote test in North Dakota, the other time being the Reform Party in 1996, when Ross Perot was its presidential candidate, according to Ballot Access News.

To maintain ballot access, the 2016 gubernatorial or presidential candidate must get 5 percent.

In addition, Jack Seaman, candidate for the U.S. House, received 5.8 percent, and the candidate for tax commissioner, Anthony Mangnall, got 6.4 percent. Both candidates were in three-way races with Democrats and Republicans.