Participating in democracy has downsides. At least, that’s what Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., is telling voters.
Asked about ads released by the North Dakota Democratic Party threatening hunters with the loss of their out-of-state hunting licenses, Heitkamp said “it is really important people understand the consequences of voting.”
Democrats have done their best to play up those supposed consequences days before the election and as Heitkamp trails in the polls by double digits. A Facebook ad paid for by the party blares: “ATTENTION HUNTERS: If you vote in North Dakota, you may forfeit hunting licenses you have in other states. If you want to keep your out-of-state hunting licenses, you may not want to vote in North Dakota.”
Both the North Dakota secretary of state and the North Dakota Game & Fish Department have struggled to verify those claims when asked by local press. But that didn’t stop Heitkamp.
Before casting a ballot, voters in North Dakota have to prove their residency with identification that lists a street address. According to Heitkamp that “means you’re a resident. It means you pay taxes here. If you want a residential hunting license in Minnesota, you’re not going to get that if you vote here.”
And that last bit might be true. Clearly declaring residency in one state prohibits a hunter from applying for a residential hunting license in another. But Heitkamp has taken something obvious and twisted it into a threat.
Take Minnesota, like Heitkamp references.
Voting in North Dakota doesn’t mean forgoing hunting season in Minnesota. It means a hunter would have to apply for a nonresidential hunting license in that state before setting up a deer stand or a duck blind. Per the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, this seems easy enough.
Hunters will know this. The people who fill out paperwork before buying a gun and who fill out more paperwork before hunting season have a decent understanding of the law. They are also politically motivated, which is a problem for Heitkamp. They aren’t going to miss out on hunting season. Because she endorsed this stunt though, she might miss out on her Senate seat.
