North Dakota has no voter registration. The apparent lack of voter fraud in the state suggests there's no need for additional rules and regulations, including registration. The same stands for the referral and initiative process. It's one of those things the state takes pride in.

That's why it was worrisome when Secretary of State Al Jaeger announced 610 signatures on petitions to reduce personal and corporate income tax had to be thrown out. A random mailing of post cards to petition signers revealed problems:fake names and addresses and, in one case, a person who was deceased.

Two people were charged with providing false information.

North Dakota should continue to be vigilant in maintaining fair elections for measures as well as candidates. Honest elections are not the norm in many nations. Not even in every city and state in the union can voters be assured of a fair count. What North Dakota has in terms of easy access to the ballot box, and thereby to representative democracy, is special, and should be jealously guarded.

Lets be clear. North Dakota hasn't been perfect in this regard. There have been problems in past elections, in particular, in the initiative and referendum process. The most vulnerable part of that process is in the gathering of signatures. And that's the reason for those post cards. It keeps the system honest.

Enough additional signatures were turned in so that the proposal to reduce income tax will be on the ballot. It will be Measure 2. If it passes muster on Nov.4, it will cut individual income tax rates by 50 percent and corporate income tax rates by 15 percent. This editorial isn't about the merits of the measure, rather, about keeping the process that put it on the ballot fair and honest.

The best protectors of North Dakota's election process are the state's informed voters.