Michael Howe

Michael Howe
Nationality	American
Occupation	Template:Hlist
Title	Secretary of State of North Dakota
Known for	Serving as Secretary of State of North Dakota

Michael Howe is an American politician who serves as the Secretary of State of North Dakota. In this capacity, Howe oversees elections, campaign finance disclosures, ballot measure petitions, and voter registration processes across the state. His tenure has intersected with significant legal and political developments in North Dakota, including landmark redistricting litigation brought by Native American tribes and the administration of constitutional ballot measure petitions. Howe has been named as a defendant in his official capacity in federal voting rights cases, most notably Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians v. Michael Howe, a redistricting case that resulted in a court ruling finding that North Dakota's 2021 legislative map unlawfully diluted Native American voting rights. Beyond the courtroom, Howe's office has been involved in the procedural approval of citizen-initiated constitutional measures, including a 2025 petition regarding public school meal funding.

Career

Secretary of State of North Dakota

Michael Howe serves as the Secretary of State of North Dakota, a statewide elected office responsible for the administration of elections, the maintenance of official state records, business filings, and the oversight of ballot measure petition processes. The office plays a central role in North Dakota's democratic infrastructure, serving as the filing authority for campaign finance disclosures and the certifying body for statewide election results.

In his role as Secretary of State, Howe has been responsible for reviewing and approving the petition formats for citizen-initiated constitutional measures placed before North Dakota voters. In December 2025, Howe's office approved the petition format for a proposed constitutional measure that would, if adopted by voters, guarantee free breakfast and lunch for every public school student in the state. The measure, which would require the collection of sufficient voter signatures to qualify for the ballot, represented one of several citizen-driven policy initiatives processed through the Secretary of State's office during Howe's tenure.

The approval of petition formats is a procedural but consequential function of the Secretary of State's office in North Dakota. Before a petition can be circulated for signatures, the Secretary of State must review its format to ensure compliance with state law. This step does not involve a judgment on the merits of the proposed measure but rather ensures that the petition meets statutory requirements for form and content. The school lunch funding measure approved in December 2025 would have placed the question of guaranteed public school meals before North Dakota voters in a future election cycle.

Redistricting Litigation

Howe's tenure as Secretary of State has been defined in significant part by his involvement—in his official capacity—in redistricting litigation brought by Native American tribes in North Dakota. The case Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians v. Michael Howe became one of the most consequential voting rights cases in recent North Dakota history.

The lawsuit was filed by the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and the Spirit Lake Tribe, who challenged North Dakota's 2021 legislative redistricting map. The tribes argued that the map, as drawn by the state legislature, unlawfully diluted the voting power of Native American communities in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Native American Rights Fund (NARF) represented the tribal plaintiffs in the litigation.

The case centered on the drawing of legislative district boundaries following the 2020 United States Census. Redistricting—the process of redrawing electoral district lines to reflect population changes—is carried out by the state legislature in North Dakota. The tribes contended that the 2021 map packed or cracked Native American populations in ways that reduced their ability to elect candidates of their choice, a recognized form of vote dilution under federal law.

The litigation resulted in a ruling favorable to the tribal plaintiffs. The court found that North Dakota's 2021 legislative map did, in fact, unlawfully dilute Native American voting rights. The Spirit Lake Tribe and the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians proved their case under the legal framework established by the United States Supreme Court in Thornburg v. Gingles (1986), which set out the preconditions and totality-of-circumstances test for Section 2 vote dilution claims. The ruling required the state to redraw affected legislative districts to provide Native American voters with a fair opportunity to participate in the political process and elect representatives of their choice.

As Secretary of State, Howe was named as a defendant in his official capacity—a standard legal practice in voting rights litigation, where the state officer responsible for election administration is typically named as the party responsible for implementing any court-ordered remedies. The case drew national attention as one of several redistricting challenges brought across the United States following the 2020 Census, and it was highlighted by the Native American Rights Fund as a significant victory for tribal voting rights.

The outcome of the case had practical implications for the administration of elections in North Dakota. The Secretary of State's office was responsible for incorporating any court-ordered changes to legislative district boundaries into the state's election infrastructure, including voter registration systems, ballot design, and precinct mapping. The case underscored the intersection of the Secretary of State's administrative responsibilities with broader questions of democratic representation and civil rights.

Election Administration

As the chief election officer of North Dakota, Howe oversees a state with a distinctive electoral framework. North Dakota is the only state in the United States that does not require voter registration, a feature that simplifies some aspects of election administration but creates unique challenges in voter identification and poll management. The Secretary of State's office is responsible for ensuring that elections are conducted in accordance with state and federal law, including the provision of accessible polling places, the certification of election results, and the processing of absentee and mail-in ballots.

Howe's office also serves as the repository for campaign finance disclosures filed by candidates, political parties, and political action committees operating in North Dakota. These filings are made publicly available and serve as a transparency mechanism for voters seeking information about the financial backers of political campaigns and ballot measures.

Other Notable Individuals Named Michael Howe

The name Michael Howe is shared by several notable individuals across different fields and historical periods. While the subject of this article is the North Dakota politician, the following individuals have also achieved prominence under the same name.

Michael Howe (Bushranger)

Michael Howe (1787–1818) was a convict transported to the British penal colony of Van Diemen's Land (present-day Tasmania) who became one of the most notorious bushrangers in early Australian colonial history. Howe led a gang of escaped convicts who conducted raids and robberies across the Tasmanian interior. He was eventually killed by soldiers and settlers in 1818 after a prolonged period as a fugitive. Howe is sometimes referred to as the "last bushranger of Van Diemen's Land" and is a significant figure in the history of Australian convict society and frontier conflict.

Michael J. A. Howe (Psychologist)

Michael J. A. Howe (1940–2002) was a British cognitive psychologist known for his research on the origins of exceptional abilities, intelligence, and the role of practice and environmental factors in talent development. Howe was a professor at the University of Exeter and authored several books challenging the notion that exceptional talent is primarily innate, arguing instead for the importance of sustained deliberate practice and supportive environments. His work contributed to debates in psychology about the nature-nurture question and influenced subsequent research on expertise and skill acquisition.

Michael C. Howe (Business Executive)

Michael C. Howe is an American business executive who was announced as the new Chief Executive Officer of Aspire Biopharma Holdings, Inc., effective June 10, 2025. Howe had previously served as an independent board member of the company before being elevated to the CEO role.

Michael Howe (Business Leader, Minnesota)

A Michael Howe based in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota was recognized as one of the "Outstanding Directors" of 2021 by Twin Cities Business magazine. According to the publication, Howe has been associated with Stratacor (since 1989), the Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation (since 2010), Abova (since 2016), and the Metropolitan Hospitals Labor Management organization, among other board affiliations. The recognition highlighted his contributions to corporate governance and nonprofit leadership in the Minnesota business community.

Michael Howe (Firearms Instructor)

A Michael Howe based in Southern Minnesota is a firearm instructor who joined the ConcealedCarry.com Instructor Network. He was featured in an instructor spotlight by the organization, which profiles firearm training professionals across the United States.

Recognition

The North Dakota Secretary of State's office under Howe's leadership has been the subject of scrutiny and attention from civil rights organizations, legal scholars, and media outlets, particularly in the context of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians v. Michael Howe redistricting case. The Native American Rights Fund highlighted the case as a significant victory for tribal voting rights and as an example of successful enforcement of the Voting Rights Act in the context of state legislative redistricting.

The school lunch funding petition approval in December 2025 also drew media coverage from outlets including KFYR-TV, reflecting public interest in the ballot measure process and the Secretary of State's role in facilitating citizen-initiated constitutional amendments.

Legacy

As Secretary of State of North Dakota, Michael Howe occupies a position at the center of the state's electoral and administrative infrastructure. His tenure has been marked by the intersection of routine administrative duties—such as the approval of petition formats and the management of election logistics—with high-profile legal challenges that have implications for voting rights and democratic representation in North Dakota and beyond.

The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians v. Michael Howe redistricting case, in particular, has become a reference point in national discussions about redistricting, voting rights, and the representation of Indigenous communities in state legislatures. The court's finding that North Dakota's 2021 legislative map unlawfully diluted Native American voting rights placed the state's redistricting process under judicial scrutiny and required the redrawing of legislative district boundaries to comply with the Voting Rights Act.

The procedural functions of the Secretary of State's office—including the approval of ballot measure petitions—continue to shape the landscape of direct democracy in North Dakota. The 2025 school lunch funding petition is one example of the ways in which the office mediates between citizen initiatives and the state's constitutional amendment process, a role that carries both administrative and democratic significance.