S. B. No. 115 As Introduced

Senator Jacobson

A BILL

To amend sections 3501.38, 3503.06, 3503.14, 3513.07, 1
and 3513.261 and to enact sections 3501.381 and 2
3599.111 of the Revised Code to cure omissions in 3
and otherwise clarify the law regarding 4
circulation of election petitions. 5

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

       Section 1. That sections 3501.38, 3503.06, 3503.14, 3513.07, 6
and 3513.261 be amended and that sections 3501.381 and 3599.111 of 7
the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows: 8

       Sec. 3501.38. All declarations of candidacy, nominating 9
petitions, or other petitions presented to or filed with the 10
secretary of state or a board of elections or with any other 11
public office for the purpose of becoming a candidate for any 12
nomination or office or for the holding of an election on any 13
issue shall, in addition to meeting the other specific 14
requirements prescribed in the sections of the Revised Code 15
relating to them, be governed by the following rules: 16

       (A) Only electors qualified to vote on the candidacy or issue 17
which is the subject of the petition shall sign a petition. Each 18
signer shall be a registered elector pursuant to section 3503.11 19
of the Revised Code. The facts of qualification shall be 20
determined as of the date when the petition is filed. 21

       (B) Signatures shall be affixed in ink. Each signer may also 22
print the signer's name, so as to clearly identify the signer's 23
signature. 24

       (C) Each signer shall place on the petition after the 25
signer's name the date of signing and the location of the signer's 26
voting residence, including the street and number if in a 27
municipal corporation or the rural route number, post office 28
address, or township if outside a municipal corporation. The 29
voting address given on the petition shall be the address 30
appearing in the registration records at the board of elections. 31

       (D) No person shall write any name other than the person's 32
own on any petition. No person may authorize another to sign for 33
the person. ~~Where~~If a petition contains the signature of an 34
elector two or more times, only the first signature shall be 35
counted. 36

       (E)(1) On each petition paper, the circulator shall indicate 37
the number of signatures contained on it, and shall sign a 38
statement made under penalty of election falsification that the 39
circulator witnessed the affixing of every signature, that all 40
signers were to the best of the circulator's knowledge and belief 41
qualified to sign, and that every signature is to the best of the 42
circulator's knowledge and belief the signature of the person 43
whose signature it purports to be. On the circulator's statement 44
for a declaration of candidacy, nominating petition, or 45
declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate for a person 46
seeking to become a statewide candidate or for a statewide 47
initiative or a statewide referendum petition, the circulator 48
shall identify the name and address of the person employing the 49
circulator to circulate the petition, if any. 50

       (2) As used in division (E) of this section, "statewide 51
candidate" means the joint candidates for the offices of governor 52
and lieutenant governor or a candidate for the office of secretary 53
of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, or attorney 54
general. 55

       (F) If a circulator knowingly permits an unqualified person 56
to sign a petition paper or permits a person to write a name other 57
than the person's own on a petition paper, that petition paper is 58
invalid; otherwise, the signature of a person not qualified to 59
sign shall be rejected but shall not invalidate the other valid 60
signatures on the paper. 61

       (G) The circulator of a petition may, before filing it in a 62
public office, strike from it any signature the circulator does 63
not wish to present as a part of the petition. 64

       (H) Any signer of a petition may remove the signer's 65
signature from that petition at any time before the petition is 66
filed in a public office by striking the signer's name from the 67
petition; no signature may be removed after the petition is filed 68
in any public office. 69

       (I)(1) No alterations, corrections, or additions may be made 70
to a petition after it is filed in a public office. 71

       (2) No petition may be withdrawn after it is filed in a 72
public office. Nothing in this division prohibits a person from 73
withdrawing as a candidate as otherwise provided by law. 74

       (J)(1) All declarations of candidacy, nominating petitions, 75
or other petitions under this section shall be accompanied by the 76
following statement in boldface capital letters: WHOEVER COMMITS 77
ELECTION FALSIFICATION IS GUILTY OF A FELONY OF THE FIFTH DEGREE. 78

       (2) All declarations of candidacy, nominating petitions, or 79
other petitions under this section shall be accompanied by the 80
following statement in boldface capital letters: THE CIRCULATOR OF 81
THIS PETITION IS PROHIBITED BY LAW FROM RECEIVING COMPENSATION ON 82
A FEE PER SIGNATURE OR FEE PER VOLUME BASIS. 83

       (K) All separate petition papers shall be filed at the same 84
time, as one instrument. 85

       (L) If a board of elections distributes for use a petition 86
form for a declaration of candidacy, nominating petition, 87
declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate, or any type of 88
question or issue petition that does not satisfy the requirements 89
of law as of the date of that distribution, the board shall not 90
invalidate the petition on the basis that the petition form does 91
not satisfy the requirements of law, if the petition otherwise is 92
valid. Division (L) of this section applies only if the candidate 93
received the petition from the board within ninety days of when 94
the petition is required to be filed. 95

       Sec. 3501.381. (A)(1) Any person who will receive 96
compensation for supervising, managing, or otherwise organizing 97
any effort to obtain signatures for a declaration of candidacy, 98
nominating petition, or declaration of intent to be a write-in 99
candidate for a person seeking to become a statewide candidate or 100
for a statewide initiative petition or a statewide referendum 101
petition shall file a statement to that effect with the office of 102
the secretary of state before any signatures are obtained for the 103
petition or before the person is engaged to supervise, manage, or 104
otherwise organize the effort to obtain signatures for the 105
petition, whichever is later. 106

       (2) Any person who will compensate a person for supervising, 107
managing, or otherwise organizing any effort to obtain signatures 108
for a declaration of candidacy, nominating petition, or 109
declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate for a person 110
seeking to become a statewide candidate or for a statewide 111
initiative or a statewide referendum petition shall file a 112
statement to that effect with the office of the secretary of state 113
before any signatures are obtained for the petition or before the 114
person engages a person to supervise, manage, or otherwise 115
organize the effort to obtain signatures for the petition, 116
whichever is later. 117

       (B) The secretary of state shall prescribe the form and 118
content of the statements required under division (A) of this 119
section. The form shall include a notice that no person shall be 120
compensated on a fee per signature or fee per volume basis. 121

       (C) Whoever violates division (A) of this section is guilty 122
of a misdemeanor of the first degree, and the petition for which a 123
person was paid compensation shall be deemed invalid. 124

       (D) As used in this section, "statewide candidate" means the 125
joint candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant 126
governor or a candidate for the office of secretary of state, 127
auditor of state, treasurer of state, or attorney general. 128

       Sec. 3503.06. (A) No person shall be entitled to vote at any 129
election, or to sign ~~or circulate~~ any declaration of candidacy or 130
any nominating~~, initiative, referendum,~~ or recall petition, unless 131
the person is registered as an elector and will have resided in 132
the county and precinct where the person is registered for at 133
least thirty days at the time of the next election. 134

       (B) No person shall be entitled to circulate any declaration 135
of candidacy or any nominating or recall petition unless the 136
person is registered as an elector and will have resided in the 137
county and precinct where the person is registered for at least 138
thirty days at the time of the next election. 139

        (C) No person shall be entitled to circulate any initiative 140
or referendum petition unless the person has been a resident of 141
this state for at least thirty days before the person circulates 142
the petition. 143

       Sec. 3503.14. (A) The secretary of state shall prescribe the 144
form and content of the registration and change of residence and 145
change of name form used in this state. The form shall set forth 146
the eligibility requirements needed to qualify as an elector and 147
meet the requirements of the National Voter Registration Act of 148
1993. The form shall include a space on which the person 149
registering an applicant shall sign the person's name and a space 150
on which the person registering an applicant shall name the 151
employer who is employing that person to register the applicant. 152
The form also shall include a notice that no person shall be 153
compensated on a fee per registration or fee per volume basis for 154
registering an applicant. No election official or employee of a 155
designated agency who is registering an applicant shall be 156
required to sign the election official's or employee's name or to 157
name the employer who is employing the election official or 158
employee to register an applicant on a form prepared under this 159
section. 160

       (B) Any applicant who is unable to sign ~~his~~the applicant's 161
own name shall make an "X," if possible, which shall be certified 162
by the signing of the name of the applicant by the person filling 163
out the ~~registration~~ form, who shall add ~~his~~the person's own 164
signature. If an applicant is unable to make an "X," hethe 165
applicant shall indicate in some manner that hethe applicant 166
desires to register to vote or to change ~~his~~the applicant's name 167
or residence. The person registering ~~such an~~the applicant shall 168
sign the form and attest that the applicant indicated that hethe 169
applicant desired to register to vote or to change ~~his~~the 170
applicant's name or residence. 171

       (C) No registration and change of residence and change of 172
name form shall be rejected solely on the basis that a person 173
registering an applicant failed to sign the person's name or 174
failed to name the employer who is employing that person to 175
register the applicant as required under division (A) of this 176
section. 177

       (D) As used in this section, "registering an applicant" 178
includes any effort, for compensation, to provide voter 179
registration forms or to assist persons in completing those forms 180
or returning them to the board of elections, the office of the 181
secretary of state, or other appropriate public office. 182

       Sec. 3513.07. The form of declaration of candidacy and 183
petition of a person desiring to be a candidate for a party 184
nomination or a candidate for election to an office or position to 185
be voted for at a primary election shall be substantially as 186
follows: 187

"DECLARATION OF CANDIDACY PARTY PRIMARY ELECTION 188

       I, ........................... (Name of Candidate), the 189
undersigned, hereby declare under penalty of election 190
falsification that my voting residence is in ............... 191
precinct of the ............................. (Township) or (Ward 192
and City or Village) in the county of ................, Ohio; that 193
my voting residence is ............... (Street and Number, if any, 194
or Rural Route and Number) of the ............................. 195
(City or Village) of ................., Ohio; and that I am a 196
qualified elector in the precinct in which my voting residence is 197
located. I am a member of the ........ Party. I hereby declare 198
that I desire to be .................... (a candidate for 199
nomination as a candidate of the Party for election to the office 200
of .............) (a candidate for election to the office or 201
position of ..............) for the ............ in the state, 202
district, (Full term or unexpired term ending ...............) 203
county, city, or village of ..................., at the primary 204
election to be held on the ............. day of ........., ...., 205
and I hereby request that my name be printed upon the official 206
primary election ballot of the said .......... Party as a 207
candidate for ......... (such nomination) or (such election) as 208
provided by law. 209

       I further declare that, if elected to said office or 210
position, I will qualify therefor, and that I will support and 211
abide by the principles enunciated by the ............ Party. 212

       Dated this .......... day of ................., ......... 213

............................. 214

(Signature of candidate) 215

       WHOEVER COMMITS ELECTION FALSIFICATION IS GUILTY OF A FELONY 216
OF THE FIFTH DEGREE. 217

PETITION OF CANDIDATE 218

       We, the undersigned, qualified electors of the state of Ohio, 219
whose voting residence is in the county, city, village, ward, 220
township, or school district, and precinct set opposite our names, 221
and members of the ....................................... Party, 222
hereby certify that ............................ (Name of 223
candidate) whose declaration of candidacy is filed herewith, is a 224
member of the ............ Party, and is, in our opinion, well 225
qualified to perform the duties of the office or position to which 226
that candidate desires to be elected. 227

Street City, 228

and Village or 229

Signature Number Township Ward Precinct County Date 230

(Must use address on file with the board of elections) 231

.................................................................... 232

.................................................................... 233

.................................................................... 234

       ....................................... (Name of circulator 235
of petition), declares under penalty of election falsification 236
that the circulator of the petition is a qualified elector of the 237
state of Ohio and resides at the address appearing below the 238
signature of that circulator; that the circulator is a member of 239
the ........... Party; that the circulator is the circulator of 240
the foregoing petition paper containing ............. (Number) 241
signatures; that the circulator will not be compensated on a fee 242
per signature or fee per volume basis; that the circulator 243
witnessed the affixing of every signature; that all signers were 244
to the best of the circulator's knowledge and belief qualified to 245
sign; and that every signature is to the best of the circulator's 246
knowledge and belief the signature of the person whose signature 247
it purports to be. 248

249

(Signature of circulator) 250

251

(Address of circulator) 252
253
(If petition is for a statewide 254
candidate, the name and address 255
of person employing 256
circulator to circulate 257
petition, if any) 258

       WHOEVER COMMITS ELECTION FALSIFICATION IS GUILTY OF A FELONY 259
OF THE FIFTH DEGREE. 260

       THE CIRCULATOR OF THIS PETITION IS PROHIBITED BY LAW FROM 261
RECEIVING COMPENSATION ON A FEE PER SIGNATURE OR FEE PER VOLUME 262
BASIS." 263

       The secretary of state shall prescribe a form of declaration 264
of candidacy and petition, and the form shall be substantially 265
similar to the declaration of candidacy and petition set forth in 266
this section, that will be suitable for joint candidates for the 267
offices of governor and lieutenant governor. 268

       The petition provided for in this section shall be circulated 269
only by a member of the same political party as the candidate. 270

       Sec. 3513.261. A nominating petition may consist of one or 271
more separate petition papers, each of which shall be 272
substantially in the form prescribed in this section. If the 273
petition consists of more than one separate petition paper, the 274
statement of candidacy of the candidate or joint candidates named 275
need be signed by the candidate or joint candidates on only one of 276
such separate petition papers, but the statement of candidacy so 277
signed shall be copied on each other separate petition paper 278
before the signatures of electors are placed on it. Each 279
nominating petition containing signatures of electors of more than 280
one county shall consist of separate petition papers each of which 281
shall contain signatures of electors of only one county; provided 282
that petitions containing signatures of electors of more than one 283
county shall not thereby be declared invalid. In case petitions 284
containing signatures of electors of more than one county are 285
filed, the board of elections shall determine the county from 286
which the majority of the signatures came, and only signatures 287
from this county shall be counted. Signatures from any other 288
county shall be invalid. 289

       All signatures on nominating petitions shall be written in 290
ink or indelible pencil. 291

       At the time of filing a nominating petition, the candidate 292
designated in the nominating petition, and joint candidates for 293
governor and lieutenant governor, shall pay to the election 294
officials with whom it is filed the fees specified for the office 295
under divisions (A) and (B) of section 3513.10 of the Revised 296
Code. The fees shall be disposed of by those election officials in 297
the manner that is provided in section 3513.10 of the Revised Code 298
for the disposition of other fees, and in no case shall a fee 299
required under that section be returned to a candidate. 300

       Candidates or joint candidates whose names are written on the 301
ballot, and who are elected, shall pay the same fees under section 302
3513.10 of the Revised Code that candidates who file nominating 303
petitions pay. Payment of these fees shall be a condition 304
precedent to the granting of their certificates of election. 305

       Each nominating petition shall contain a statement of 306
candidacy that shall be signed by the candidate or joint 307
candidates named in it. Such statement of candidacy shall contain 308
a declaration made under penalty of election falsification that 309
the candidate desires to be a candidate for the office named in 310
it, and that the candidate is an elector qualified to vote for the 311
office the candidate seeks. 312

       The form of the nominating petition and statement of 313
candidacy shall be substantially as follows: 314

"STATEMENT OF CANDIDACY 315

       I, ................................... (Name of candidate), 316
the undersigned, hereby declare under penalty of election 317
falsification that my voting residence is in ................ 318
.......... Precinct of the ......................... (Township) or 319
(Ward and City, or Village) in the county of ............... Ohio; 320
that my post-office address is ............................ 321
(Street and Number, if any, or Rural Route and Number) of the 322
............................... (City, Village, or post office) of 323
...................., Ohio; and that I am a qualified elector in 324
the precinct in which my voting residence is located. I hereby 325
declare that I desire to be a candidate for election to the office 326
of .............. in the ........................ (State, 327
District, County, City, Village, Township, or School District) for 328
the ...................................... (Full term or unexpired 329
term ending ................) at the General Election to be held 330
on the ........... day of ..............., .... 331

       I further declare that I am an elector qualified to vote for 332
the office I seek. Dated this ....... day of .............., .... 333

334

(Signature of candidate) 335

       WHOEVER COMMITS ELECTION FALSIFICATION IS GUILTY OF A FELONY 336
OF THE FIFTH DEGREE. 337

       I, ................................., hereby constitute the 338
persons named below a committee to represent me: 339

Name Residence 340
341
342
343
344
345

NOMINATING PETITION 346

       We, the undersigned, qualified electors of the state of Ohio, 347
whose voting residence is in the County, City, Village, Ward, 348
Township or Precinct set opposite our names, hereby nominate 349
.................... as a candidate for election to the office of 350
........................... in the ............................ 351
(State, District, County, City, Village, Township, or School 352
District) for the ................. (Full term or unexpired term 353
ending ...................) to be voted for at the general 354
election next hereafter to be held, and certify that this person 355
is, in our opinion, well qualified to perform the duties of the 356
office or position to which the person desires to be elected. 357

358
Street 359
Address 360
or R.F.D. 361
(Must use 362
address on City, 363
file with Village 364
the board of or Date of 365
Signature elections) Township Ward Precinct County Signing 366
367
368
369
370

..........................., declares under penalty of election 371
falsification that such person is a qualified elector of the state 372
of Ohio and resides at the address appearing below such person's 373
signature hereto; that such person is the circulator of the 374
foregoing petition paper containing ................ signatures; 375
that such person as circulator will not be compensated on a fee 376
per signature or fee per volume basis; that such person witnessed 377
the affixing of every signature; that all signers were to the best 378
of such person's knowledge and belief qualified to sign; and that 379
every signature is to the best of such person's knowledge and 380
belief the signature of the person whose signature it purports to 381
be. 382

383

(Signature of circulator) 384

385

(Address) 386
387
(If petition is for a statewide 388
candidate, the name and address 389
of person employing circulator 390
to circulate petition, if any) 391

       WHOEVER COMMITS ELECTION FALSIFICATION IS GUILTY OF A FELONY 392
OF THE FIFTH DEGREE. 393

       THE CIRCULATOR OF THIS PETITION IS PROHIBITED BY LAW FROM 394
RECEIVING COMPENSATION ON A FEE PER SIGNATURE OR FEE PER VOLUME 395
BASIS." 396

       The secretary of state shall prescribe a form of nominating 397
petition for a group of candidates for the office of member of a 398
board of education, township office, and offices of municipal 399
corporations of under two thousand population. 400

       The secretary of state shall prescribe a form of statement of 401
candidacy and nominating petition, which shall be substantially 402
similar to the form of statement of candidacy and nominating 403
petition set forth in this section, that will be suitable for 404
joint candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant 405
governor. 406

       If such petition nominates a candidate whose election is to 407
be determined by the electors of a county or a district or 408
subdivision within the county, it shall be filed with the board of 409
such county. If the petition nominates a candidate whose election 410
is to be determined by the voters of a subdivision located in more 411
than one county, it shall be filed with the board of the county in 412
which the major portion of the population of such subdivision is 413
located. 414

       If the petition nominates a candidate whose election is to be 415
determined by the electors of a district comprised of more than 416
one county but less than all of the counties of the state, it 417
shall be filed with the board of elections of the most populous 418
county in such district. If the petition nominates a candidate 419
whose election is to be determined by the electors of the state at 420
large, it shall be filed with the secretary of state. 421

       The secretary of state or a board of elections shall not 422
accept for filing a nominating petition of a person seeking to 423
become a candidate if that person, for the same election, has 424
already filed a declaration of candidacy, a declaration of intent 425
to be a write-in candidate, or a nominating petition, or has 426
become a candidate through party nomination at a primary election 427
or by the filling of a vacancy under section 3513.30 or 3513.31 of 428
the Revised Code for any state or county office, if the nominating 429
petition is for a state or county office, or for any municipal or 430
township office, for member of a city, local, or exempted village 431
board of education, or for member of a governing board of an 432
educational service center, if the nominating petition is for a 433
municipal or township office, or for member of a city, local, or 434
exempted village board of education, or for member of a governing 435
board of an educational service center. 436

       Sec. 3599.111. (A) As used in this section, "registering a 437
voter" or "registering voters" includes any effort, for 438
compensation, to provide voter registration forms or to assist 439
persons in completing those forms or returning them to the board 440
of elections, the office of the secretary of state, or other 441
appropriate public office. 442

       (B) No person shall receive compensation on a fee per 443
signature or fee per volume basis for circulating any declaration 444
of candidacy, nominating petition, declaration of intent to be a 445
write-in candidate, initiative petition, referendum petition, 446
recall petition, or any other election-related petition that is 447
filed with or transmitted to a board of elections, the office of 448
the secretary of state, or other appropriate public office. 449

       (C) No person shall receive compensation on a fee per 450
registration or fee per volume basis for registering a voter. 451

       (D) Compensation for collecting signatures on 452
election-related petitions and for registering voters shall be 453
paid solely on the basis of time worked. 454

       (E)(1) Whoever violates division (B) or (C) of this section 455
is guilty of election falsification under section 3599.36 of the 456
Revised Code. 457

       (2) Whoever violates division (D) of this section is guilty 458
of a felony of the fifth degree. 459

       Section 2. That existing sections 3501.38, 3503.06, 3503.14, 460
3513.07, and 3513.261 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed. 461

       Section 3. The versions of sections 3501.38, 3503.14, 462
3513.07, and 3513.261 of the Revised Code, as amended by this 463
act, and the versions of sections 3501.381 and 3599.111 of the 464
Revised Code, as enacted by this act, prevail over the versions of 465
those sections presented in Am. Sub. H.B. 1 of the Special Session 466
of the 125th General Assembly. 467

Section 1. That sections 3501.38, 3503.06, 3503.14, 3513.07,	6
and 3513.261 be amended and that sections 3501.381 and 3599.111 of	7
the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:	8

Sec. 3501.38. All declarations of candidacy, nominating	9
petitions, or other petitions presented to or filed with the	10
secretary of state or a board of elections or with any other	11
public office for the purpose of becoming a candidate for any	12
nomination or office or for the holding of an election on any	13
issue shall, in addition to meeting the other specific	14
requirements prescribed in the sections of the Revised Code	15
relating to them, be governed by the following rules:	16

(A) Only electors qualified to vote on the candidacy or issue	17
which is the subject of the petition shall sign a petition. Each	18
signer shall be a registered elector pursuant to section 3503.11	19
of the Revised Code. The facts of qualification shall be	20
determined as of the date when the petition is filed.	21

(B) Signatures shall be affixed in ink. Each signer may also	22
print the signer's name, so as to clearly identify the signer's	23
signature.	24

(C) Each signer shall place on the petition after the	25
signer's name the date of signing and the location of the signer's	26
voting residence, including the street and number if in a	27
municipal corporation or the rural route number, post office	28
address, or township if outside a municipal corporation. The	29
voting address given on the petition shall be the address	30
appearing in the registration records at the board of elections.	31

(D) No person shall write any name other than the person's	32
own on any petition. No person may authorize another to sign for	33
the person. ~~Where~~If a petition contains the signature of an	34
elector two or more times, only the first signature shall be	35
counted.	36

(E)(1) On each petition paper, the circulator shall indicate	37
the number of signatures contained on it, and shall sign a	38
statement made under penalty of election falsification that the	39
circulator witnessed the affixing of every signature, that all	40
signers were to the best of the circulator's knowledge and belief	41
qualified to sign, and that every signature is to the best of the	42
circulator's knowledge and belief the signature of the person	43
whose signature it purports to be. On the circulator's statement	44
for a declaration of candidacy, nominating petition, or	45
declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate for a person	46
seeking to become a statewide candidate or for a statewide	47
initiative or a statewide referendum petition, the circulator	48
shall identify the name and address of the person employing the	49
circulator to circulate the petition, if any.	50

(2) As used in division (E) of this section, "statewide	51
candidate" means the joint candidates for the offices of governor	52
and lieutenant governor or a candidate for the office of secretary	53
of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, or attorney	54
general.	55

(F) If a circulator knowingly permits an unqualified person	56
to sign a petition paper or permits a person to write a name other	57
than the person's own on a petition paper, that petition paper is	58
invalid; otherwise, the signature of a person not qualified to	59
sign shall be rejected but shall not invalidate the other valid	60
signatures on the paper.	61

(G) The circulator of a petition may, before filing it in a	62
public office, strike from it any signature the circulator does	63
not wish to present as a part of the petition.	64

(H) Any signer of a petition may remove the signer's	65
signature from that petition at any time before the petition is	66
filed in a public office by striking the signer's name from the	67
petition; no signature may be removed after the petition is filed	68
in any public office.	69

(I)(1) No alterations, corrections, or additions may be made	70
to a petition after it is filed in a public office.	71

(2) No petition may be withdrawn after it is filed in a	72
public office. Nothing in this division prohibits a person from	73
withdrawing as a candidate as otherwise provided by law.	74

(J)(1) All declarations of candidacy, nominating petitions,	75
or other petitions under this section shall be accompanied by the	76
following statement in boldface capital letters: WHOEVER COMMITS	77
ELECTION FALSIFICATION IS GUILTY OF A FELONY OF THE FIFTH DEGREE.	78

(2) All declarations of candidacy, nominating petitions, or	79
other petitions under this section shall be accompanied by the	80
following statement in boldface capital letters: THE CIRCULATOR OF	81
THIS PETITION IS PROHIBITED BY LAW FROM RECEIVING COMPENSATION ON	82
A FEE PER SIGNATURE OR FEE PER VOLUME BASIS.	83

(K) All separate petition papers shall be filed at the same	84
time, as one instrument.	85

(L) If a board of elections distributes for use a petition	86
form for a declaration of candidacy, nominating petition,	87
declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate, or any type of	88
question or issue petition that does not satisfy the requirements	89
of law as of the date of that distribution, the board shall not	90
invalidate the petition on the basis that the petition form does	91
not satisfy the requirements of law, if the petition otherwise is	92
valid. Division (L) of this section applies only if the candidate	93
received the petition from the board within ninety days of when	94
the petition is required to be filed.	95

Sec. 3501.381. (A)(1) Any person who will receive	96
compensation for supervising, managing, or otherwise organizing	97
any effort to obtain signatures for a declaration of candidacy,	98
nominating petition, or declaration of intent to be a write-in	99
candidate for a person seeking to become a statewide candidate or	100
for a statewide initiative petition or a statewide referendum	101
petition shall file a statement to that effect with the office of	102
the secretary of state before any signatures are obtained for the	103
petition or before the person is engaged to supervise, manage, or	104
otherwise organize the effort to obtain signatures for the	105
petition, whichever is later.	106

(2) Any person who will compensate a person for supervising,	107
managing, or otherwise organizing any effort to obtain signatures	108
for a declaration of candidacy, nominating petition, or	109
declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate for a person	110
seeking to become a statewide candidate or for a statewide	111
initiative or a statewide referendum petition shall file a	112
statement to that effect with the office of the secretary of state	113
before any signatures are obtained for the petition or before the	114
person engages a person to supervise, manage, or otherwise	115
organize the effort to obtain signatures for the petition,	116
whichever is later.	117

(B) The secretary of state shall prescribe the form and	118
content of the statements required under division (A) of this	119
section. The form shall include a notice that no person shall be	120
compensated on a fee per signature or fee per volume basis.	121

(C) Whoever violates division (A) of this section is guilty	122
of a misdemeanor of the first degree, and the petition for which a	123
person was paid compensation shall be deemed invalid.	124

(D) As used in this section, "statewide candidate" means the	125
joint candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant	126
governor or a candidate for the office of secretary of state,	127
auditor of state, treasurer of state, or attorney general.	128

Sec. 3503.06. (A) No person shall be entitled to vote at any	129
election, or to sign ~~or circulate~~ any declaration of candidacy or	130
any nominating~~, initiative, referendum,~~ or recall petition, unless	131
the person is registered as an elector and will have resided in	132
the county and precinct where the person is registered for at	133
least thirty days at the time of the next election.	134

(B) No person shall be entitled to circulate any declaration	135
of candidacy or any nominating or recall petition unless the	136
person is registered as an elector and will have resided in the	137
county and precinct where the person is registered for at least	138
thirty days at the time of the next election.	139

(C) No person shall be entitled to circulate any initiative	140
or referendum petition unless the person has been a resident of	141
this state for at least thirty days before the person circulates	142
the petition.	143

Sec. 3503.14. (A) The secretary of state shall prescribe the	144
form and content of the registration and change of residence and	145
change of name form used in this state. The form shall set forth	146
the eligibility requirements needed to qualify as an elector and	147
meet the requirements of the National Voter Registration Act of	148
1993. The form shall include a space on which the person	149
registering an applicant shall sign the person's name and a space	150
on which the person registering an applicant shall name the	151
employer who is employing that person to register the applicant.	152
The form also shall include a notice that no person shall be	153
compensated on a fee per registration or fee per volume basis for	154
registering an applicant. No election official or employee of a	155
designated agency who is registering an applicant shall be	156
required to sign the election official's or employee's name or to	157
name the employer who is employing the election official or	158
employee to register an applicant on a form prepared under this	159
section.	160

(B) Any applicant who is unable to sign ~~his~~the applicant's	161
own name shall make an "X," if possible, which shall be certified	162
by the signing of the name of the applicant by the person filling	163
out the ~~registration~~ form, who shall add ~~his~~the person's own	164
signature. If an applicant is unable to make an "X," hethe	165
applicant shall indicate in some manner that hethe applicant	166
desires to register to vote or to change ~~his~~the applicant's name	167
or residence. The person registering ~~such an~~the applicant shall	168
sign the form and attest that the applicant indicated that hethe	169
applicant desired to register to vote or to change ~~his~~the	170
applicant's name or residence.	171

(C) No registration and change of residence and change of	172
name form shall be rejected solely on the basis that a person	173
registering an applicant failed to sign the person's name or	174
failed to name the employer who is employing that person to	175
register the applicant as required under division (A) of this	176
section.	177

(D) As used in this section, "registering an applicant"	178
includes any effort, for compensation, to provide voter	179
registration forms or to assist persons in completing those forms	180
or returning them to the board of elections, the office of the	181
secretary of state, or other appropriate public office.	182

Sec. 3513.07. The form of declaration of candidacy and	183
petition of a person desiring to be a candidate for a party	184
nomination or a candidate for election to an office or position to	185
be voted for at a primary election shall be substantially as	186
follows:	187