The governor of North Dakota is the head of government of North Dakota and serves as the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The Constitution of North Dakota specifies that "the executive power is vested in the governor" in Section 1. Section 7 indicates that "the governor is the chief executive of the state. The governor shall have the responsibility to see that the state's business is well administered and that its laws are faithfully executed." Eligibility According to Article 5 of the constitution, to be eligible to hold an elective office as governor, a person must be a qualified elector in North Dakota, must be at least thirty years of age on the day of the election, and must have been a resident of the state for the five years preceding election to office. Dates of party conventions and gubernatorial nominations The dates that political parties meet to nominate official candidates for state offices varies by party. Dates of general elections The dates of the general election for the office of governor are set by the North Dakota legislative assembly. Traditionally, the general election date coincides with the U.S. Presidential election which is the first Tuesday of November in even years, every four years (except when the first Tuesday falls on November 1; in that case, the general election is held on November 8). The next gubernatorial election in North Dakota is slated for November 5, 2024. Current governor The current governor of North Dakota is Republican Doug Burgum. He became governor December 15, 2016. Governor and lieutenant governor elected together According to the state constitution, the governor and the lieutenant governor must be elected on a joint ballot, or single ticket. In North Dakota, each candidate for governor appears printed on the ballot with the candidate for lieutenant governor of the same political party. A single vote is cast for both offices; no other option is available to the voter. Therefore, a voter may not choose a single candidate for governor from one political party and a single candidate for lieutenant governor from a competing party. Additional gubernatorial rights, responsibilities and positions In addition to his role leading the executive branch offices, the governor has the right to sign or veto laws and to call the Legislative Assembly into emergency session. The governor is also, by statute, chairman of the North Dakota Industrial Commission. Length and dates of