North Dakota voters chose three electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, Vice President Joe Biden, against Republican challenger and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan.

Mitt Romney handily won the state with 58.32% of the vote to Barack Obama's 38.69%, a 19.63% margin of victory.

As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last time a Democrat won Benson, Ransom, Sargent, and Steele counties.

[1] North Dakota has 28 delegates to the Republican National Convention;[2] despite Rick Santorum's nominal win in the preference poll conducted during the caucuses, the majority of the delegates elected by the state party convention later in March said they supported Romney.

Former NDGOP Chairman Gary Emineth called the vote undemocratic and a railroad job.