To amend sections 2101.44, 3501.01, 3501.05, 3501.051, 3501.06, 3501.11, 3501.13, 3501.17, 3501.22, 3501.26, 3501.27, 3501.28, 3501.29, 3501.30, 3501.31, 3501.32, 3501.33, 3501.35, 3501.37, 3503.02, 3503.26, 3505.07, 3505.08, 3505.16, 3505.17, 3505.18, 3505.20, 3505.21, 3505.23, 3505.24, 3505.26, 3505.28, 3505.29, 3505.30, 3505.31, 3506.05, 3506.12, 3506.15, 3509.01, 3509.06, 3513.131, 3513.18, 3513.19, 3513.21, 3515.04, 3517.106, 3517.11, 3599.07, 3599.17, 3599.19, and 3599.31, to enact sections 3501.021 and 3506.021, and to repeal section 3506.16 of the Revised Code to revise the law regarding election administration, ballots, and candidates.

Section 1.  That sections 2101.44, 3501.01, 3501.05, 3501.051, 3501.06, 3501.11, 3501.13, 3501.17, 3501.22, 3501.26, 3501.27, 3501.28, 3501.29, 3501.30, 3501.31, 3501.32, 3501.33, 3501.35, 3501.37, 3503.02, 3503.26, 3505.07, 3505.08, 3505.16, 3505.17, 3505.18, 3505.20, 3505.21, 3505.23, 3505.24, 3505.26, 3505.28, 3505.29, 3505.30, 3505.31, 3506.05, 3506.12, 3506.15, 3509.01, 3509.06, 3513.131, 3513.18, 3513.19, 3513.21, 3515.04, 3517.106, 3517.11, 3599.07, 3599.17, 3599.19, and 3599.31 be amended and sections 3501.021 and 3506.021 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 2101.44.  The election upon the question of combining the probate court and the court of common pleas shall be conducted as provided for the election of county officers.

The board of election elections shall provide separate ballots, ballot boxes, tally sheets, blanks, stationery, and all such other supplies as may be necessary in the conduct of such election.

Ballots shall be printed with an affirmative and negative statement thereon, as follows:

Returns of said election shall be made and canvassed at the same time and in the same manner as an election for county officers. The board shall certify the result of said election to the secretary of state, to the probate judge of said county, and to the judge of the court of common pleas, and such result shall be spread upon the journal of the probate court and of the court of common pleas.

If a majority of the votes cast at such an election are in favor of combining said courts, such courts shall stand combined upon determination of the fact that a majority of the persons voting upon the question of the combination of such courts voted in favor of such combination.

Sec. 3501.01.  As used in the sections of the Revised Code relating to elections and political communications:

(A) "General election" means the election held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in each November.

(B) "Regular municipal election" means the election held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in each odd-numbered year.

(C) "Regular state election" means the election held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in each even-numbered year.

(D) "Special election" means any election other than those elections defined in other divisions of this section. A special election may be held only on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in February, May, August, or November, or on the day authorized by a particular municipal or county charter for the holding of a primary election, except that in any year in which a presidential primary election is held, no special election shall be held in February or May, except as authorized by a municipal or county charter, but may be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March.

(E)(1) "Primary" or "primary election" means an election held for the purpose of nominating persons as candidates of political parties for election to offices, and for the purpose of electing persons as members of the controlling committees of political parties and as delegates and alternates to the conventions of political parties. Primary elections shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in May of each year except in years in which a presidential primary election is held.

(2) "Presidential primary election" means a primary election as defined by division (E)(1) of this section at which an election is held for the purpose of choosing delegates and alternates to the national conventions of the major political parties pursuant to section 3513.12 of the Revised Code. Unless otherwise specified, presidential primary elections are included in references to primary elections. In years in which a presidential primary election is held, all primary elections shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March except as otherwise authorized by a municipal or county charter.

(F) "Political party" means any group of voters meeting the requirements set forth in section 3517.01 of the Revised Code for the formation and existence of a political party.

(1) "Major political party" means any political party organized under the laws of this state whose candidate for governor or nominees for presidential electors received no less than twenty per cent of the total vote cast for such office at the most recent regular state election.

(2) "Intermediate political party" means any political party organized under the laws of this state whose candidate for governor or nominees for presidential electors received less than twenty per cent but not less than ten per cent of the total vote cast for such office at the most recent regular state election.

(3) "Minor political party" means any political party organized under the laws of this state whose candidate for governor or nominees for presidential electors received less than ten per cent but not less than five per cent of the total vote cast for such office at the most recent regular state election or which has filed with the secretary of state, subsequent to any election in which it received less than five per cent of such vote, a petition signed by qualified electors equal in number to at least one per cent of the total vote cast for such office in the last preceding regular state election, except that a newly formed political party shall be known as a minor political party until the time of the first election for governor or president which occurs not less than twelve months subsequent to the formation of such party, after which election the status of such party shall be determined by the vote for the office of governor or president.

(G) "Dominant party in a precinct" or "dominant political party in a precinct" means that political party whose candidate for election to the office of governor at the most recent regular state election at which a governor was elected received more votes than any other person received for election to that office in such precinct at such election.

(H) "Candidate" means any qualified person certified in accordance with the provisions of the Revised Code for placement on the official ballot of a primary, general, or special election to be held in this state, or any qualified person who claims to be a write-in candidate, or who knowingly assents to being represented as a write-in candidate by another at either a primary, general, or special election to be held in this state.

(I) "Independent candidate" means any candidate who claims not to be affiliated with a political party, and whose name has been certified on the office-type ballot at a general or special election through the filing of a statement of candidacy and nominating petition, as prescribed in section 3513.257 of the Revised Code.

(J) "Nonpartisan candidate" means any candidate whose name is required, pursuant to section 3505.04 of the Revised Code, to be listed on the nonpartisan ballot, including all candidates for judicial office, for member of any board of education, for municipal or township offices in which primary elections are not held for nominating candidates by political parties, and for offices of municipal corporations having charters that provide for separate ballots for elections for these offices.

(K) "Party candidate" means any candidate who claims to be a member of a political party, whose name has been certified on the office-type ballot at a general or special election through the filing of a declaration of candidacy and petition of candidate, and who has won the primary election of the candidate's party for the public office the candidate seeks or is selected by party committee in accordance with section 3513.31 of the Revised Code.

(L) "Officer of a political party" includes, but is not limited to, any member, elected or appointed, of a controlling committee, whether representing the territory of the state, a district therein, a county, township, a city, a ward, a precinct, or other territory, of a major, intermediate, or minor political party.

(M) "Question or issue" means any question or issue certified in accordance with the Revised Code for placement on an official ballot at a general or special election to be held in this state.

(N) "Elector" or "qualified elector" means a person having the qualifications provided by law to be entitled to vote.

(O) "Voter" means an elector who votes at an election.

(P) "Voting residence" means that place of residence of an elector which shall determine the precinct in which the elector may vote.

(Q) "Precinct" means a district within a county established by the board of elections of such county within which all qualified electors having a voting residence therein may vote at the same polling place.

(R) "Polling place" means that place provided for each precinct at which the electors having a voting residence in such precinct may vote.

(S) "Board" or "board of elections" means the board of elections appointed in a county pursuant to section 3501.06 of the Revised Code.

(T) "Political subdivision" means a county, township, city, village, or school district.

(U) "Election officer" or "election official" means any of the following:

(1) Secretary of state;

(2) Employees of the secretary of state serving the division of elections in the capacity of attorney, administrative officer, administrative assistant, elections administrator, office manager, or clerical supervisor;

(3) Director of a board of elections;

(4) Deputy director of a board of elections;

(5) Member of a board of elections;

(6) Employees of a board of elections;

(7) Precinct polling place judges election officials;

(8) Employees appointed by the boards of elections on a temporary or part-time basis.

(V) "Acknowledgment notice" means a notice sent by a board of elections, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, informing a voter registration applicant or an applicant who wishes to change the applicant's residence or name of the status of the application; the information necessary to complete or update the application, if any; and if the application is complete, the precinct in which the applicant is to vote.

(W) "Confirmation notice" means a notice sent by a board of elections, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, to a registered elector to confirm the registered elector's current address.

(X) "Designated agency" means an office or agency in the state that provides public assistance or that provides state-funded programs primarily engaged in providing services to persons with disabilities and that is required by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to implement a program designed and administered by the secretary of state for registering voters, or any other public or government office or agency that implements a program designed and administered by the secretary of state for registering voters, including the department of job and family services, the program administered under section 3701.132 of the Revised Code by the department of health, the department of mental health, the department of developmental disabilities, the rehabilitation services commission, and any other agency the secretary of state designates. "Designated agency" does not include public high schools and vocational schools, public libraries, or the office of a county treasurer.

(Y) "National Voter Registration Act of 1993" means the "National Voter Registration Act of 1993," 107 Stat. 77, 42 U.S.C.A. 1973gg.

(Z) "Voting Rights Act of 1965" means the "Voting Rights Act of 1965," 79 Stat. 437, 42 U.S.C.A. 1973, as amended.

(AA) "Photo identification" means a document that meets each of the following requirements:

(1) It shows the name of the individual to whom it was issued, which shall conform to the name in the poll list or signature pollbook.

(2) It shows the current address of the individual to whom it was issued, which shall conform to the address in the poll list or signature pollbook, except for a driver's license or a state identification card issued under section 4507.50 of the Revised Code, which may show either the current or former address of the individual to whom it was issued, regardless of whether that address conforms to the address in the poll list or signature pollbook.

(3) It shows a photograph of the individual to whom it was issued.

(4) It includes an expiration date that has not passed.

(5) It was issued by the government of the United States or this state.

Sec. 3501.021. Notwithstanding any provision of the Revised Code to the contrary, a political subdivision or other entity that certifies a question or issue to a board of elections for placement on the ballot shall make that certification in paper form. A board of elections shall not accept such a certification in electronic form.

Sec. 3501.05.  The secretary of state shall do all of the following:

(A) Appoint all members of boards of elections;

(B) Issue instructions by directives and advisories in accordance with section 3501.053 of the Revised Code to members of the boards as to the proper methods of conducting elections.

(C) Prepare rules and instructions for the conduct of elections;

(D) Publish and furnish to the boards from time to time a sufficient number of indexed copies of all election laws then in force;

(E) Edit and issue all pamphlets concerning proposed laws or amendments required by law to be submitted to the voters;

(F) Prescribe the form of registration cards, blanks, and records;

(G) Determine and prescribe the forms of ballots and the forms of all blanks, cards of instructions, pollbooks, tally sheets, certificates of election, and forms and blanks required by law for use by candidates, committees, and boards;

(H) Prepare the ballot title or statement to be placed on the ballot for any proposed law or amendment to the constitution to be submitted to the voters of the state;

(I) Except as otherwise provided in section 3519.08 of the Revised Code, certify to the several boards the forms of ballots and names of candidates for state offices, and the form and wording of state referendum questions and issues, as they shall appear on the ballot;

(J) Except as otherwise provided in division (I)(2)(b) of section 3501.38 of the Revised Code, give final approval to ballot language for any local question or issue approved and transmitted by boards of elections under section 3501.11 of the Revised Code;

(K) Receive all initiative and referendum petitions on state questions and issues and determine and certify to the sufficiency of those petitions;

(L) Require such reports from the several boards as are provided by law, or as the secretary of state considers necessary;

(M) Compel the observance by election officers in the several counties of the requirements of the election laws;

(N)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (N)(2) of this section, investigate the administration of election laws, frauds, and irregularities in elections in any county, and report violations of election laws to the attorney general or prosecuting attorney, or both, for prosecution;

(2) On and after August 24, 1995, report a failure to comply with or a violation of a provision in sections 3517.08 to 3517.13, 3517.17, 3517.18, 3517.20 to 3517.22, 3599.03, or 3599.031 of the Revised Code, whenever the secretary of state has or should have knowledge of a failure to comply with or a violation of a provision in one of those sections, by filing a complaint with the Ohio elections commission under section 3517.153 of the Revised Code;

(O) Make an annual report to the governor containing the results of elections, the cost of elections in the various counties, a tabulation of the votes in the several political subdivisions, and other information and recommendations relative to elections the secretary of state considers desirable;

(P) Prescribe and distribute to boards of elections a list of instructions indicating all legal steps necessary to petition successfully for local option elections under sections 4301.32 to 4301.41, 4303.29, 4305.14, and 4305.15 of the Revised Code;

(Q) Adopt rules pursuant to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code for the removal by boards of elections of ineligible voters from the statewide voter registration database and, if applicable, from the poll list or signature pollbook used in each precinct, which rules shall provide for all of the following:

(1) A process for the removal of voters who have changed residence, which shall be uniform, nondiscriminatory, and in compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, including a program that uses the national change of address service provided by the United States postal system through its licensees;

(2) A process for the removal of ineligible voters under section 3503.21 of the Revised Code;

(3) A uniform system for marking or removing the name of a voter who is ineligible to vote from the statewide voter registration database and, if applicable, from the poll list or signature pollbook used in each precinct and noting the reason for that mark or removal.

(R) Prescribe a general program for registering voters or updating voter registration information, such as name and residence changes, by boards of elections, designated agencies, offices of deputy registrars of motor vehicles, public high schools and vocational schools, public libraries, and offices of county treasurers consistent with the requirements of section 3503.09 of the Revised Code;

(S) Prescribe a program of distribution of voter registration forms through boards of elections, designated agencies, offices of the registrar and deputy registrars of motor vehicles, public high schools and vocational schools, public libraries, and offices of county treasurers;

(T) To the extent feasible, provide copies, at no cost and upon request, of the voter registration form in post offices in this state;

(U) Adopt rules pursuant to section 111.15 of the Revised Code for the purpose of implementing the program for registering voters through boards of elections, designated agencies, and the offices of the registrar and deputy registrars of motor vehicles consistent with this chapter;

(V) Establish the full-time position of Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator within the office of the secretary of state to do all of the following:

(1) Assist the secretary of state with ensuring that there is equal access to polling places for persons with disabilities;

(2) Assist the secretary of state with ensuring that each voter may cast the voter's ballot in a manner that provides the same opportunity for access and participation, including privacy and independence, as for other voters;

(3) Advise the secretary of state in the development of standards for the certification of voting machines, marking devices, and automatic tabulating equipment.

(W) Establish and maintain a computerized statewide database of all legally registered voters under section 3503.15 of the Revised Code that complies with the requirements of the "Help America Vote Act of 2002," Pub. L. No. 107-252, 116 Stat. 1666, and provide training in the operation of that system;

(X) Ensure that all directives, advisories, other instructions, or decisions issued or made during or as a result of any conference or teleconference call with a board of elections to discuss the proper methods and procedures for conducting elections, to answer questions regarding elections, or to discuss the interpretation of directives, advisories, or other instructions issued by the secretary of state are posted on a web site of the office of the secretary of state as soon as is practicable after the completion of the conference or teleconference call, but not later than the close of business on the same day as the conference or teleconference call takes place.

(Y) Publish a report on a web site of the office of the secretary of state not later than one month after the completion of the canvass of the election returns for each primary and general election, identifying, by county, the number of absent voter's ballots cast and the number of those ballots that were counted, and the number of provisional ballots cast and the number of those ballots that were counted, for that election. The secretary of state shall maintain the information on the web site in an archive format for each subsequent election.

(Z) Conduct voter education outlining voter identification, absent voters ballot, provisional ballot, and other voting requirements;

(AA) Establish a procedure by which a registered elector may make available to a board of elections a more recent signature to be used in the poll list or signature pollbook produced by the board of elections of the county in which the elector resides;

(BB) Disseminate information, which may include all or part of the official explanations and arguments, by means of direct mail or other written publication, broadcast, or other means or combination of means, as directed by the Ohio ballot board under division (F) of section 3505.062 of the Revised Code, in order to inform the voters as fully as possible concerning each proposed constitutional amendment, proposed law, or referendum;

(CC) Be the single state office responsible for the implementation of the "Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act," Pub. L. No. 99-410, 100 Stat. 924, 42 U.S.C. 1973ff, et seq., as amended, in this state. The secretary of state may delegate to the boards of elections responsibilities for the implementation of that act, including responsibilities arising from amendments to that act made by the "Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act," Subtitle H of the "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010," Pub. L. No. 111-84, 123 Stat. 3190.

(DD) Adopt rules, under Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, to establish procedures and standards for determining when a board of elections shall be placed under the official oversight of the secretary of state, placing a board of elections under the official oversight of the secretary of state, a board that is under official oversight to transition out of official oversight, and the secretary of state to supervise a board of elections that is under official oversight of the secretary of state.

(EE) Perform other duties required by law.

Whenever a primary election is held under section 3513.32 of the Revised Code or a special election is held under section 3521.03 of the Revised Code to fill a vacancy in the office of representative to congress, the secretary of state shall establish a deadline, notwithstanding any other deadline required under the Revised Code, by which any or all of the following shall occur: the filing of a declaration of candidacy and petitions or a statement of candidacy and nominating petition together with the applicable filing fee; the filing of protests against the candidacy of any person filing a declaration of candidacy or nominating petition; the filing of a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate; the filing of campaign finance reports; the preparation of, and the making of corrections or challenges to, precinct voter registration lists; the receipt of applications for absent voter's ballots or armed service uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots; the supplying of election materials to precincts by boards of elections; the holding of hearings by boards of elections to consider challenges to the right of a person to appear on a voter registration list; and the scheduling of programs to instruct or reinstruct election officers.

In the performance of the secretary of state's duties as the chief election officer, the secretary of state may administer oaths, issue subpoenas, summon witnesses, compel the production of books, papers, records, and other evidence, and fix the time and place for hearing any matters relating to the administration and enforcement of the election laws.

In any controversy involving or arising out of the adoption of registration or the appropriation of funds for registration, the secretary of state may, through the attorney general, bring an action in the name of the state in the court of common pleas of the county where the cause of action arose or in an adjoining county, to adjudicate the question.

In any action involving the laws in Title XXXV of the Revised Code wherein the interpretation of those laws is in issue in such a manner that the result of the action will affect the lawful duties of the secretary of state or of any board of elections, the secretary of state may, on the secretary of state's motion, be made a party.

The secretary of state may apply to any court that is hearing a case in which the secretary of state is a party, for a change of venue as a substantive right, and the change of venue shall be allowed, and the case removed to the court of common pleas of an adjoining county named in the application or, if there are cases pending in more than one jurisdiction that involve the same or similar issues, the court of common pleas of Franklin county.

Public high schools and vocational schools, public libraries, and the office of a county treasurer shall implement voter registration programs as directed by the secretary of state pursuant to this section.

Sec. 3501.051.  (A) Notwithstanding any other section of the Revised Code, the secretary of state may authorize, in one or more precincts in one or more counties, a program allowing individuals under the age of eighteen to enter the polling place and vote in a simulated election held at the same time as a general election. Any individual working in or supervising at a simulated election may enter the polling place and remain within it during the entire period the polls are open.

(B) A program established under division (A) of this section shall require all of the following:

(1) That the duties imposed on judges of precinct election officials and peace officers under section 3501.33 of the Revised Code be performed by those judges officials and officers in regard to simulated elections and all activities related to simulated elections;

(2) That volunteers provide the personnel necessary to conduct the simulated election, except that employees of the secretary of state, employees or members of boards of elections, and precinct election officials may aid in operating the program to the extent permitted by the secretary of state;

(3) That individuals under the age of fourteen be accompanied to the simulated election by an individual eighteen years of age or over;

(4) Any other requirements the secretary of state considers necessary for the orderly administration of the election process.

Sec. 3501.06.  (A) There shall be in each county of the state a board of elections consisting of four qualified electors of the county, who shall be appointed by the secretary of state, as the secretary's representatives, to serve for the term of four years.

(B)(1) On the first day of March in even-numbered the years 2014 and 2016, the secretary of state shall appoint two of such board members, one for a term of three years. One of whom those board members shall be from the political party which cast the highest number of votes for the office of governor at the most recent regular state election, and the other shall be from the political party which cast the next highest number of votes for the office of governor at such election.

(2) Beginning in 2017, on the first day of March in odd-numbered years, the secretary of state shall appoint two of such board members for a term of four years. One of those board members shall be from the political party which cast the highest number of votes for the office of governor at the most recent regular state election, and the other shall be from the political party which cast the next highest number of votes for the office of governor at such election. Thereafter, all appointments shall be made on the first day of March in odd-numbered years for a term of four years.

(C) All vacancies filled for unexpired terms and all appointments to new terms shall be made from the political party to which the vacating or outgoing member belonged, unless there is a third political party which cast a greater number of votes in the state at the most recent regular state election for the office of governor than did the party to which the retiring member belonged, in which event the vacancy shall be filled from such third party.

Sec. 3501.11.  Each board of elections shall exercise by a majority vote all powers granted to the board by Title XXXV of the Revised Code, shall perform all the duties imposed by law, and shall do all of the following:

(A) Establish, define, provide, rearrange, and combine election precincts;

(B) Fix and provide the places for registration and for holding primaries and elections;

(C) Provide for the purchase, preservation, and maintenance of booths, ballot boxes, books, maps, flags, blanks, cards of instructions, and other forms, papers, and equipment used in registration, nominations, and elections;

(D) Appoint and remove its director, deputy director, and employees and all registrars, judges precinct election officials, and other officers of elections, fill vacancies, and designate the ward or district and precinct in which each shall serve;

(E) Make and issue rules and instructions, not inconsistent with law or the rules, directives, or advisories issued by the secretary of state, as it considers necessary for the guidance of election officers and voters;

(F) Advertise and contract for the printing of all ballots and other supplies used in registrations and elections;

(G) Provide for the issuance of all notices, advertisements, and publications concerning elections, except as otherwise provided in division (G) of section 3501.17 and divisions (F) and (G) of section 3505.062 of the Revised Code;

(H) Provide for the delivery of ballots, pollbooks, and other required papers and material to the polling places;

(I) Cause the polling places to be suitably provided with voting machines, marking devices, automatic tabulating equipment, stalls, and other required supplies. In fulfilling this duty, each board of a county that uses voting machines, marking devices, or automatic tabulating equipment shall conduct a full vote of the board during a public session of the board on the allocation and distribution of voting machines, marking devices, and automatic tabulating equipment for each precinct in the county.

(J) Investigate irregularities, nonperformance of duties, or violations of Title XXXV of the Revised Code by election officers and other persons; administer oaths, issue subpoenas, summon witnesses, and compel the production of books, papers, records, and other evidence in connection with any such investigation; and report the facts to the prosecuting attorney or the secretary of state;

(K) Review, examine, and certify the sufficiency and validity of petitions and nomination papers, and, after certification, return to the secretary of state all petitions and nomination papers that the secretary of state forwarded to the board;

(L) Receive the returns of elections, canvass the returns, make abstracts of them, and transmit those abstracts to the proper authorities;

(M) Issue certificates of election on forms to be prescribed by the secretary of state;

(N) Make an annual report to the secretary of state, on the form prescribed by the secretary of state, containing a statement of the number of voters registered, elections held, votes cast, appropriations received, expenditures made, and other data required by the secretary of state;

(O) Prepare and submit to the proper appropriating officer a budget estimating the cost of elections for the ensuing fiscal year;

(P) Perform other duties as prescribed by law or the rules, directives, or advisories of the secretary of state;

(Q) Investigate and determine the residence qualifications of electors;

(R) Administer oaths in matters pertaining to the administration of the election laws;

(S) Prepare and submit to the secretary of state, whenever the secretary of state requires, a report containing the names and residence addresses of all incumbent county, municipal, township, and board of education officials serving in their respective counties;

(T) Establish and maintain a voter registration database of all qualified electors in the county who offer to register;

(U) Maintain voter registration records, make reports concerning voter registration as required by the secretary of state, and remove ineligible electors from voter registration lists in accordance with law and directives of the secretary of state;

(V) Give approval to ballot language for any local question or issue and transmit the language to the secretary of state for the secretary of state's final approval;

(W) Prepare and cause the following notice to be displayed in a prominent location in every polling place:

Ohio law prohibits any person from voting or attempting to vote more than once at the same election.

Violators are guilty of a felony of the fourth degree and shall be imprisoned and additionally may be fined in accordance with law."

(X) In all cases of a tie vote or a disagreement in the board, if no decision can be arrived at, the director or chairperson shall submit the matter in controversy, not later than fourteen days after the tie vote or the disagreement, to the secretary of state, who shall summarily decide the question, and the secretary of state's decision shall be final.

(Y) Assist each designated agency, deputy registrar of motor vehicles, public high school and vocational school, public library, and office of a county treasurer in the implementation of a program for registering voters at all voter registration locations as prescribed by the secretary of state. Under this program, each board of elections shall direct to the appropriate board of elections any voter registration applications for persons residing outside the county where the board is located within five days after receiving the applications.

(Z) On any day on which an elector may vote in person at the office of the board or at another site designated by the board, consider the board or other designated site a polling place for that day. All requirements or prohibitions of law that apply to a polling place shall apply to the office of the board or other designated site on that day.

(AA) Perform any duties with respect to voter registration and voting by uniformed services and overseas voters that are delegated to the board by law or by the rules, directives, or advisories of the secretary of state.

Sec. 3501.13.  (A) The director of the board of elections shall keep a full and true record of the proceedings of the board and of all moneys received and expended; file and preserve in the board's office all orders and records pertaining to the administration of registrations, primaries, and elections; receive and have the custody of all books, papers, and property belonging to the board; and perform other duties in connection with the office of director and the proper conduct of elections as the board determines.

(B) Before entering upon the duties of the office, the director shall subscribe to an oath that the director will support the Constitution of the United States and the Ohio Constitution, perform all the duties of the office to the best of the director's ability, enforce the election laws, and preserve all records, documents, and other property pertaining to the conduct of elections placed in the director's custody.

(C) The director may administer oaths to persons required by law to file certificates or other papers with the board, to judges of elections precinct election officials, to witnesses who are called to testify before the board, and to voters filling out blanks at the board's offices. Except as otherwise provided by state or federal law, the records of the board and papers and books filed in its office are public records and open to inspection under such reasonable regulations as shall be established by the board. The following notice shall be posted in a prominent place at each board office:

"Except as otherwise provided by state or federal law, records filed in this office of the board of elections are open to public inspection during normal office hours, pursuant to the following reasonable regulations: (the board shall here list its regulations). Whoever prohibits any person from inspecting the public records of this board is subject to the penalties of section 3599.161 of the Revised Code."

(D) Upon receipt of a written declaration of intent to retire as provided for in section 145.38 of the Revised Code, the director shall provide a copy to each member of the board of elections.

Sec. 3501.17.  (A) The expenses of the board of elections shall be paid from the county treasury, in pursuance of appropriations by the board of county commissioners, in the same manner as other county expenses are paid. If the board of county commissioners fails to appropriate an amount sufficient to provide for the necessary and proper expenses of the board of elections pertaining to the conduct of elections, the board of elections may apply to the court of common pleas within the county, which shall fix the amount necessary to be appropriated and the amount shall be appropriated. Payments shall be made upon vouchers of the board of elections certified to by its chairperson or acting chairperson and the director or deputy director, upon warrants of the county auditor.

The board of elections shall not incur any obligation involving the expenditure of money unless there are moneys sufficient in the funds appropriated therefor to meet the obligation. If the board of elections requests a transfer of funds from one of its appropriation items to another, the board of county commissioners shall adopt a resolution providing for the transfer except as otherwise provided in section 5705.40 of the Revised Code. The expenses of the board of elections shall be apportioned among the county and the various subdivisions as provided in this section, and the amount chargeable to each subdivision shall be withheld by the county auditor from the moneys payable thereto at the time of the next tax settlement. At the time of submitting budget estimates in each year, the board of elections shall submit to the taxing authority of each subdivision, upon the request of the subdivision, an estimate of the amount to be withheld from the subdivision during the next fiscal year.

A board of township trustees may, by resolution, request that the county auditor withhold expenses charged to the township from a specified township fund that is to be credited with revenue at a tax settlement. The resolution shall specify the tax levy ballot issue, the date of the election on the levy issue, and the township fund from which the expenses the board of elections incurs related to that ballot issue shall be withheld.

(B) Except as otherwise provided in division (F) of this section, the compensation of the members of the board of elections and of the director, deputy director, and regular employees in the board's offices, other than compensation for overtime worked; the expenditures for the rental, furnishing, and equipping of the office of the board and for the necessary office supplies for the use of the board; the expenditures for the acquisition, repair, care, and custody of the polling places, booths, guardrails, and other equipment for polling places; the cost of tally sheets, maps, flags, ballot boxes, and all other permanent records and equipment; the cost of all elections held in and for the state and county; and all other expenses of the board which are not chargeable to a political subdivision in accordance with this section shall be paid in the same manner as other county expenses are paid.

(C) The compensation of judges of elections precinct election officials and intermittent employees in the board's offices; the cost of renting, moving, heating, and lighting polling places and of placing and removing ballot boxes and other fixtures and equipment thereof, including voting machines, marking devices, and automatic tabulating equipment; the cost of printing and delivering ballots, cards of instructions, registration lists required under section 3503.23 of the Revised Code, and other election supplies, including the supplies required to comply with division (H) of section 3506.01 of the Revised Code; the cost of contractors engaged by the board to prepare, program, test, and operate voting machines, marking devices, and automatic tabulating equipment; and all other expenses of conducting primaries and elections in the odd-numbered years shall be charged to the subdivisions in and for which such primaries or elections are held. The charge for each primary or general election in odd-numbered years for each subdivision shall be determined in the following manner: first, the total cost of all chargeable items used in conducting such elections shall be ascertained; second, the total charge shall be divided by the number of precincts participating in such election, in order to fix the cost per precinct; third, the cost per precinct shall be prorated by the board of elections to the subdivisions conducting elections for the nomination or election of offices in such precinct; fourth, the total cost for each subdivision shall be determined by adding the charges prorated to it in each precinct within the subdivision.

(D) The entire cost of special elections held on a day other than the day of a primary or general election, both in odd-numbered or in even-numbered years, shall be charged to the subdivision. Where a special election is held on the same day as a primary or general election in an even-numbered year, the subdivision submitting the special election shall be charged only for the cost of ballots and advertising. Where a special election is held on the same day as a primary or general election in an odd-numbered year, the subdivision submitting the special election shall be charged for the cost of ballots and advertising for such special election, in addition to the charges prorated to such subdivision for the election or nomination of candidates in each precinct within the subdivision, as set forth in the preceding paragraph.

(E) Where a special election is held on the day specified by division (E) of section 3501.01 of the Revised Code for the holding of a primary election, for the purpose of submitting to the voters of the state constitutional amendments proposed by the general assembly, and a subdivision conducts a special election on the same day, the entire cost of the special election shall be divided proportionally between the state and the subdivision based upon a ratio determined by the number of issues placed on the ballot by each, except as otherwise provided in division (G) of this section. Such proportional division of cost shall be made only to the extent funds are available for such purpose from amounts appropriated by the general assembly to the secretary of state. If a primary election is also being conducted in the subdivision, the costs shall be apportioned as otherwise provided in this section.

(F) When a precinct is open during a general, primary, or special election solely for the purpose of submitting to the voters a statewide ballot issue, the state shall bear the entire cost of the election in that precinct and shall reimburse the county for all expenses incurred in opening the precinct.

(G)(1) The state shall bear the entire cost of advertising in newspapers statewide ballot issues, explanations of those issues, and arguments for or against those issues, as required by Section 1g of Article II and Section 1 of Article XVI, Ohio Constitution, and any other section of law. Appropriations made to the controlling board shall be used to reimburse the secretary of state for all expenses the secretary of state incurs for such advertising under division (G) of section 3505.062 of the Revised Code.

(2) There is hereby created in the state treasury the statewide ballot advertising fund. The fund shall receive transfers approved by the controlling board, and shall be used by the secretary of state to pay the costs of advertising state ballot issues as required under division (G)(1) of this section. Any such transfers may be requested from and approved by the controlling board prior to placing the advertising, in order to facilitate timely provision of the required advertising.

(H) The cost of renting, heating, and lighting registration places; the cost of the necessary books, forms, and supplies for the conduct of registration; and the cost of printing and posting precinct registration lists shall be charged to the subdivision in which such registration is held.

(I) At the request of a majority of the members of the board of elections, the board of county commissioners may, by resolution, establish an elections revenue fund. Except as otherwise provided in this division, the purpose of the fund shall be to accumulate revenue withheld by or paid to the county under this section for the payment of any expense related to the duties of the board of elections specified in section 3501.11 of the Revised Code, upon approval of a majority of the members of the board of elections. The fund shall not accumulate any revenue withheld by or paid to the county under this section for the compensation of the members of the board of elections or of the director, deputy director, or other regular employees in the board's offices, other than compensation for overtime worked.

Notwithstanding sections 5705.14, 5705.15, and 5705.16 of the Revised Code, the board of county commissioners may, by resolution, transfer money to the elections revenue fund from any other fund of the political subdivision from which such payments lawfully may be made. Following an affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the board of elections, the board of county commissioners may, by resolution, rescind an elections revenue fund established under this division. If an elections revenue fund is rescinded, money that has accumulated in the fund shall be transferred to the county general fund.

(J) As used in this section:

(1) "Political subdivision" and "subdivision" mean any board of county commissioners, board of township trustees, legislative authority of a municipal corporation, board of education, or any other board, commission, district, or authority that is empowered to levy taxes or permitted to receive the proceeds of a tax levy, regardless of whether the entity receives tax settlement moneys as described in division (A) of this section;

(2) "Statewide ballot issue" means any ballot issue, whether proposed by the general assembly or by initiative or referendum, that is submitted to the voters throughout the state.

Sec. 3501.22.  (A) On or before the fifteenth day of September in each year, the board of elections by a majority vote shall, after careful examination and investigation as to their qualifications, appoint for each election precinct four residents of the county in which the precinct is located, as judges precinct election officials. Except as otherwise provided in division (C) of this section, all judges of precinct election officials shall be qualified electors. The judges precinct election officials shall constitute the election officers of the precinct. Not more than one-half of the total number of judges precinct election officials shall be members of the same political party. The term of such precinct officers shall be for one year. The board may, at any time, designate any number of election officers, not more than one-half of whom shall be members of the same political party, to perform their duties at any precinct in any election. The board may appoint additional officials, equally divided between the two major political parties, when necessary to expedite voting. If the board of elections determines that four precinct election officials are not required in a precinct for a special election, the board of elections may select two of the precinct's election officers, who are not members of the same political party, to serve as the precinct election officials for that precinct in that special election.

Vacancies for unexpired terms shall be filled by the board. When new precincts have been created, the board shall appoint judges precinct election officials for those precincts for the unexpired term. Any judge precinct election official may be summarily removed from office at any time by the board for neglect of duty, malfeasance, or misconduct in office or for any other good and sufficient reason.

Precinct election officials shall perform all of the duties provided by law for receiving the ballots and supplies, opening and closing the polls, and overseeing the casting of ballots during the time the polls are open, and any other duties required by section 3501.26 of the Revised Code.

A board of elections may designate two precinct election officials as counting officials to count and tally the votes cast and certify the results of the election at each precinct, and perform other duties as provided by law. To expedite the counting of votes at each precinct, the board may appoint additional officials, not more than one-half of whom shall be members of the same political party.

The board shall designate one of the precinct election officials who is a member of the dominant political party to serve as a presiding judge voting location manager, whose duty it is to deliver the returns of the election and all supplies to the office of the board. For these services, the presiding judge voting location manager shall receive additional compensation in an amount, consistent with section 3501.28 of the Revised Code, determined by the board of elections.

The board shall issue to each precinct election official a certificate of appointment, which the official shall present to the presiding judge voting location manager at the time the polls are opened.

(B) If the board of elections determines that not enough qualified electors in a precinct are available to serve as precinct officers, it may appoint persons to serve as precinct officers at a primary, special, or general election who are at least seventeen years of age and are registered to vote in accordance with section 3503.07 of the Revised Code.

(C)(1) A board of elections, in conjunction with the board of education of a city, local, or exempted village school district, the governing authority of a community school established under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code, or the chief administrator of a nonpublic school may establish a program permitting certain high school students to apply and, if appointed by the board of elections, to serve as precinct officers at a primary, special, or general election.

In addition to the requirements established by division (C)(2) of this section, a board of education, governing authority, or chief administrator that establishes a program under this division in conjunction with a board of elections may establish additional criteria that students shall meet to be eligible to participate in that program.

(2)(a) To be eligible to participate in a program established under division (C)(1) of this section, a student shall be a United States citizen, a resident of the county, at least seventeen years of age, and enrolled in the senior year of high school.

(b) Any student applying to participate in a program established under division (C)(1) of this section, as part of the student's application process, shall declare the student's political party affiliation with the board of elections.

(3) No student appointed as a precinct officer pursuant to a program established under division (C)(1) of this section shall be designated as a presiding judge voting location manager.

(4) Any student participating in a program established under division (C)(1) of this section shall be excused for that student's absence from school on the day of an election at which the student is serving as a precinct officer.

(D) In any precinct with six or more precinct officers, up to two students participating in a program established under division (C)(1) of this section who are under eighteen years of age may serve as precinct officers. Not more than one precinct officer in any given precinct with fewer than six precinct officers shall be under eighteen years of age.

Sec. 3501.26.  When the polls are closed after a primary, general, or special election, the receiving officials shall, in the presence of the counting officials and attending observers, proceed as follows:

(A) Count the number of electors who voted, as shown on the poll books;

(B) Count the unused ballots without removing stubs;

(C) Count the soiled and defaced ballots;

(D) Insert the totals of divisions (A), (B), and (C) of this section on the report forms provided therefor in the poll books;

(E) Count the voted ballots. If the number of voted ballots exceeds the number of voters whose names appear upon the poll books, the presiding judge voting location manager shall enter on the poll books an explanation of that discrepancy, and that explanation, if agreed to, shall be subscribed to by all of the judges precinct election officials. Any judge precinct official having a different explanation shall enter it in the poll books and subscribe to it.

(F) Put the unused ballots with stubs attached, and soiled and defaced ballots with stubs attached, in the envelopes or containers provided therefor, and certify the number.

The receiving officials shall deliver to and place in the custody of the counting officials all the supplies provided for the conduct of that election and the ballots that are to be counted and tallied, and take a receipt for the same, which receipt shall appear in and be a part of the poll books of such precinct. Having performed their duties, the receiving officials shall immediately depart.

Having receipted for the ballots, the counting officials shall proceed to count and tally the vote as cast in the manner prescribed by section 3505.27 of the Revised Code and certify the result of the election to the board of elections.

Sec. 3501.27.  (A) All judges of precinct election officials shall complete a program of instruction pursuant to division (B) of this section. No person who has been convicted of a felony or any violation of the election laws, who is unable to read and write the English language readily, or who is a candidate for an office to be voted for by the voters of the precinct in which the person is to serve shall serve as an election officer. A person when appointed as an election officer shall receive from the board of elections a certificate of appointment that may be revoked at any time by the board for good and sufficient reasons. The certificate shall be in the form the board prescribes and shall specify the precinct, ward, or district in and for which the person to whom it is issued is appointed to serve, the date of appointment, and the expiration of the person's term of service.

(B) Each board shall establish a program as prescribed by the secretary of state for the instruction of election officers in the rules, procedures, and law relating to elections. In each program, the board shall use training materials prepared by the secretary of state and may use additional materials prepared by or on behalf of the board. The board may use the services of unpaid volunteers in conducting its program and may reimburse those volunteers for necessary and actual expenses incurred in participating in the program.

The board shall train each new election officer before the new officer participates in the first election in that capacity. The board shall instruct election officials who have been trained previously only when the board or secretary of state considers that instruction necessary, but the board shall reinstruct such persons, other than presiding judges voting location managers, at least once in every three years and shall reinstruct presiding judges voting location managers before the primary election in even-numbered years. The board shall schedule any program of instruction within sixty days prior to the election in which the officials to be trained will participate.

(C) The duties of a judge of an precinct election official in each polling place shall be performed only by an individual who has successfully completed the requirements of the program, unless such an individual is unavailable after reasonable efforts to obtain such services.

(D) The secretary of state shall establish a program for the instruction of members of boards of elections and employees of boards in the rules, procedures, and law relating to elections. Each member and employee shall complete the training program within six months after the member's or employee's original appointment or employment, and thereafter each member and employee shall complete a training program to update their knowledge once every four years or more often as determined by the secretary of state.

(E) The secretary of state shall reimburse each county for the cost of programs established pursuant to division (B) of this section, once the secretary of state has received an itemized statement of expenses for such instruction programs from the county. The itemized statement shall be in a form prescribed by the secretary of state.

Sec. 3501.28.  (A) As used in this section:

(1) "Fair Labor Standards Act" or "Act" means the "Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938," 52 Stat. 1062, 29 U.S.C.A. 201, as amended.

(2) "Full election day" means the period of time between the opening of the polls and the completion of the procedures contained in section 3501.26 of the Revised Code.

(3) "Services" means services at each general, primary, or special election.

(B) Beginning with calendar year 1998, each judge of an election in a county shall be paid for the judge's services at the same hourly rate, which shall be not less than the minimum hourly rate established by the Fair Labor Standards Act and not more than eighty-five dollars per diem.

(C) Beginning with calendar year 2004, each judge of an precinct election official in a county shall be paid for the judge's official's services at the same hourly rate, which shall be not less than the minimum hourly rate established by the Fair Labor Standards Act and not more than ninety-five dollars per diem.

(D)(C) The secretary of state shall establish, by rule adopted under section 111.15 of the Revised Code, the maximum amount of per diem compensation that may be paid to judges of an precinct election officials under this section each time the Fair Labor Standards Act is amended to increase the minimum hourly rate established by the act. Upon learning of such an increase, the secretary of state shall determine by what percentage the minimum hourly rate has been increased under the act and establish a new maximum amount of per diem compensation that judges of an precinct election officials may be paid under this section that is increased by the same percentage that the minimum hourly rate has been increased under the act.

(E)(D)(1)(a) No board of elections shall increase the pay of a judge of an precinct election official under this section during a calendar year unless the board has given written notice of the proposed increase to the board of county commissioners not later than the first day of October of the preceding calendar year.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in division (E)(D)(2) of this section, a board of elections may increase the pay of a judge of an precinct election official during a calendar year by up to, but not exceeding, nine per cent over the compensation paid to a judge of an precinct election official in the county where the board is located during the previous calendar year, if the compensation so paid during the previous calendar year was eighty-five dollars or less per diem.

(c) Except as otherwise provided in division (E)(D)(2) of this section, a board of elections may increase the pay of a judge of an precinct election official during a calendar year by up to, but not exceeding, four and one-half per cent over the compensation paid to a judge of an precinct election official in the county where the board is located during the previous calendar year, if the compensation so paid during the previous calendar year was more than eighty-five but less than ninety-five dollars per diem.

(2) The board of county commissioners may review and comment upon a proposed increase and may enter into a written agreement with a board of elections to permit an increase in the compensation paid to judges of an precinct election officials for their services during a calendar year that is greater than the applicable percentage limitation described in division (E)(1)(b) or (c) of this section.

(F)(E) No judge of an precinct election official who works less than the full election day shall be paid the maximum amount allowed under this section or the maximum amount as set by the board of elections, whichever is less.

(G)(F)(1) Except as otherwise provided in divisions (G)(F)(4) to (6) of this section, any employee of the state or of any political subdivision of the state may serve as a judge of elections precinct election official on the day of an election without loss of the employee's regular compensation for that day as follows:

(a) For employees of a county office, department, commission, board, or other entity, or of a court of common pleas, county court, or county-operated municipal court, as defined in section 1901.03 of the Revised Code, the employee's appointing authority may permit leave with pay for this service in accordance with a resolution setting forth the terms and conditions for that leave passed by the board of county commissioners.

(b) For all other employees of a political subdivision of the state, leave with pay for this service shall be subject to the terms and conditions set forth in an ordinance or a resolution passed by the legislative authority of the applicable political subdivision.

(c) For state employees, leave with pay for this service shall be subject to the terms and conditions set forth by the head of the state agency, as defined in section 1.60 of the Revised Code, by which the person is employed.

(2) Any terms and conditions set forth by a board of county commissioners, legislative authority of a political subdivision, or head of a state agency under division (G)(1) of this section shall include a standard procedure for deciding which employees are permitted to receive leave with pay if multiple employees of an entity or court described in division (G)(1)(a) of this section, of an entity of a political subdivision described in division (G)(1)(b) of this section, or of a state agency as defined in section 1.60 of the Revised Code apply to serve as a judge of elections precinct election official on the day of an election. This procedure shall be applied uniformly to all similarly situated employees.

(3) Any employee who is eligible for leave with pay under division (G)(1) of this section shall receive, in addition to the employee's regular compensation, the compensation paid to the judge of an precinct election official under division (B), or (C), or (D) of this section.

(4) Division (G)(F)(1) of this section does not apply to either of the following:

(a) Election officials;

(b) Public school teachers.

(5) Nothing in division (G)(F)(1) of this section supersedes or negates any provision of a collective bargaining agreement in effect under Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code.

(6) If a board of county commissioners, legislative authority of a political subdivision, or head of a state agency fails to set forth any terms and conditions under division (G)(F)(1) of this section, an employee of an entity or court described in division (G)(F)(1)(a) of this section, of an entity of a political subdivision described in division (G)(F)(1)(b) of this section, or of a state agency as defined in section 1.60 of the Revised Code may use personal leave, vacation leave, or compensatory time, or take unpaid leave, to serve as a judge of elections precinct election official on the day of an election.

(H)(G) The board of elections may withhold the compensation of any precinct election official for failure to obey the instructions of the board or to comply with the law relating to the duties of such a precinct judge election official. Any payment a judge of an precinct election official is entitled to receive under section 3501.36 of the Revised Code is in addition to the compensation the judge official is entitled to receive under this section.

Sec. 3501.29.  (A) The board of elections shall provide for each precinct a polling place and provide adequate facilities at each polling place for conducting the election. The board shall provide a sufficient number of screened or curtained voting compartments to which electors may retire and conveniently mark their ballots, protected from the observation of others. Each voting compartment shall be provided at all times with writing implements, instructions how to vote, and other necessary conveniences for marking the ballot. The presiding judge voting location manager shall ensure that the voting compartments at all times are adequately lighted and contain the necessary supplies. The board shall utilize, in so far as practicable, rooms in public schools and other public buildings for polling places. Upon application of the board of elections, the authority which has the control of any building or grounds supported by taxation under the laws of this state, shall make available the necessary space therein for the purpose of holding elections and adequate space for the storage of voting machines, without charge for the use thereof. A reasonable sum may be paid for necessary janitorial service. When polling places are established in private buildings, the board may pay a reasonable rental therefor, and also the cost of liability insurance covering the premises when used for election purposes, or the board may purchase a single liability policy covering the board and the owners of the premises when used for election purposes. When removable buildings are supplied by the board, they shall be constructed under the contract let to the lowest and best bidder, and the board shall observe all ordinances and regulations then in force as to safety. The board shall remove all such buildings from streets and other public places within thirty days after an election, unless another election is to be held within ninety days.

(B)(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the board shall ensure all of the following:

(a) That polling places are free of barriers that would impede ingress and egress of handicapped persons;

(b) That the minimum number of special parking locations, also known as handicapped parking spaces or disability parking spaces, for handicapped persons are designated at each polling place in accordance with 28 C.F.R. Part 36, Appendix A, and in compliance with division (E) of section 4511.69 of the Revised Code.;

(c) That the entrances of polling places are level or are provided with a nonskid ramp of not over eight per cent gradient;

(d) That doors are a minimum of thirty-two inches wide.

(2) Notwithstanding division (B)(1)(a), (c), or (d) of this section, certain polling places may be specifically exempted by the secretary of state upon certification by a board of elections that a good faith, but unsuccessful, effort has been made to modify, or change the location of, such polling places.

(C) At any polling place that is exempted from compliance by the secretary of state, the board of elections shall permit any handicapped elector who travels to that elector's polling place, but who is unable to enter the polling place, to vote, with the assistance of two polling place officials of major political parties, in the vehicle that conveyed that elector to the polling place, or to receive and cast that elector's ballot at the door of the polling place.

(D) The secretary of state shall:

(1) Work with other state agencies to facilitate the distribution of information and technical assistance to boards of elections to meet the requirements of division (B) of this section;

(2) Work with organizations that represent or provide services to handicapped, disabled, or elderly citizens to effect a wide dissemination of information about the availability of absentee voting, voting in the voter's vehicle or at the door of the polling place, or other election services to handicapped, disabled, or elderly citizens.

(E) Before the day of an election, the director of the board of elections of each county shall sign a statement verifying that each polling place that will be used in that county at that election meets the requirements of division (B)(1)(b) of this section. The signed statement shall be sent to the secretary of state by certified mail or electronically.

(F) As used in this section, "handicapped" means having lost the use of one or both legs, one or both arms, or any combination thereof, or being blind or so severely disabled as to be unable to move about without the aid of crutches or a wheelchair.

Sec. 3501.30. (A) The board of elections shall provide for each polling place the necessary ballot boxes box, official ballots, cards of instructions, registration forms, pollbooks or poll lists, tally sheets, forms on which to make summary statements, writing implements, paper, and all other supplies necessary for casting and counting the ballots and recording the results of the voting at the polling place. The pollbooks or poll lists shall have certificates appropriately printed on them for the signatures of all the precinct officials, by which they shall certify that, to the best of their knowledge and belief, the pollbooks or poll lists correctly show the names of all electors who voted in the polling place at the election indicated in the pollbooks or poll lists.

All of the following shall be included among the supplies provided to each polling place:

(1) A large map of each appropriate precinct, which shall be displayed prominently to assist persons who desire to register or vote on election day. Each map shall show all streets within the precinct and contain identifying symbols of the precinct in bold print.

(2) Any materials, postings, or instructions required to comply with state or federal laws;

(3) A flag of the United States approximately two and one-half feet in length along the top, which shall be displayed outside the entrance to the polling place during the time it is open for voting;

(4) Two or more small flags of the United States approximately fifteen inches in length along the top, which shall be placed at a distance of one hundred feet from the polling place on the thoroughfares or walkways leading to the polling place, to mark the distance within which persons other than election officials, observers, police officers, and electors waiting to mark, marking, or casting their ballots shall not loiter, congregate, or engage in any kind of election campaigning. Where small flags cannot reasonably be placed one hundred feet from the polling place, the presiding election judge voting location manager shall place the flags as near to one hundred feet from the entrance to the polling place as is physically possible. Police officers and all election officials shall see that this prohibition against loitering and congregating is enforced.

When the period of time during which the polling place is open for voting expires, all of the flags described in this division shall be taken into the polling place and shall be returned to the board together with all other election supplies required to be delivered to the board.

(B) The board of elections shall follow the instructions and advisories of the secretary of state in the production and use of polling place supplies.

Sec. 3501.31.  The board of elections shall mail to each precinct election official notice of the date, hours, and place of holding each election in the official's respective precinct at which it desires the official to serve. Each of such officials shall notify the board immediately upon receipt of such notice of any inability to serve.

The election official designated as presiding judge voting location manager under section 3501.22 of the Revised Code shall call at the office of the board at such time before the day of the election, not earlier than the tenth day before the day of the election, as the board designates to obtain the ballots, pollbooks, registration forms and lists, and other material to be used in the official's polling place on election day.

The board may also provide for the delivery of such materials to polling places in a municipal corporation by members of the police department of such municipal corporation; or the board may provide for the delivery of such materials to the presiding judge voting location manager not earlier than the tenth day before the election, in any manner it finds to be advisable.

On election day the precinct election officials shall punctually attend the polling place one-half hour before the time fixed for opening the polls. Each of the precinct election officials shall thereupon make and subscribe to a statement which shall be as follows:

"State of Ohio

County of ...............

I do solemnly swear under the penalty of perjury that I will support the constitution of the United States of America and the constitution of the state of Ohio and its laws; that I have not been convicted of a felony or any violation of the election laws; that I will discharge to the best of my ability the duties of judge of precinct election official in and for precinct .................... in the .................... (township) or (ward and city or village) .................... in the county of ...................., in the election to be held on the .......... day of ..............., ....., as required by law and the rules and instructions of the board of elections of said county; and that I will endeavor to prevent fraud in such election, and will report immediately to said board any violations of the election laws which come to my attention, and will not disclose any information as to how any elector voted which is gained by me in the discharge of my official duties.

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............................................................

If any of the other precinct election officials is absent at that time, the presiding judge voting location manager, with the concurrence of a majority of the precinct election officials present, shall appoint a qualified elector who is a member of the same political party as the political party of which such absent precinct election official is a member to fill the vacancy until the board appoints a person to fill such vacancy and the person so appointed reports for duty at the polling place. The presiding judge voting location manager shall promptly notify the board of such vacancy by telephone or otherwise. The presiding judge voting location manager also shall assign the precinct election officials to their respective duties and shall have general charge of the polling place.

Sec. 3501.32.  (A) Except as otherwise provided in division (B) of this section, on the day of the election the polls shall be opened by proclamation by the presiding judge voting location manager, or in his the manager's absence by a presiding judge voting location manager chosen by the judges precinct election officials, at six-thirty a.m. and shall be closed by proclamation at seven-thirty p.m. unless there are voters waiting in line to cast their ballots, in which case the polls shall be kept open until such waiting voters have voted.

(B) On the day of the election, any polling place located on an island not connected to the mainland by a highway or a bridge may close earlier than seven-thirty p.m. if all registered voters in the precinct have voted. When a polling place closes under division (B) of this section the presiding judge voting location manager shall immediately notify the board of elections of the closing.

Sec. 3501.33.  All judges of precinct election officials shall enforce peace and good order in and about the place of registration or election. They shall especially keep the place of access of the electors to the polling place open and unobstructed and prevent and stop any improper practices or attempts tending to obstruct, intimidate, or interfere with any elector in registering or voting. They shall protect observers against molestation and violence in the performance of their duties, and may eject from the polling place any observer for violation of any provision of Title XXXV of the Revised Code. They shall prevent riots, violence, tumult, or disorder. In the discharge of these duties, they may call upon the sheriff, police, or other peace officers to aid them in enforcing the law. They may order the arrest of any person violating Title XXXV of the Revised Code, but such an arrest shall not prevent the person from registering or voting if the person is entitled to do so. The sheriff, all constables, police officers, and other officers of the peace shall immediately obey and aid in the enforcement of any lawful order made by the precinct election officials in the enforcement of Title XXXV of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3501.35. (A) During an election and the counting of the ballots, no person shall do any of the following:

(1) Loiter, congregate, or engage in any kind of election campaigning within the area between the polling place and the small flags of the United States placed on the thoroughfares and walkways leading to the polling place, and if the line of electors waiting to vote extends beyond those small flags, within ten feet of any elector in that line;

(2) In any manner hinder or delay an elector in reaching or leaving the place fixed for casting the elector's ballot;

(3) Give, tender, or exhibit any ballot or ticket to any person other than the elector's own ballot to the judge of precinct election officials within the area between the polling place and the small flags of the United States placed on the thoroughfares and walkways leading to the polling place, and if the line of electors waiting to vote extends beyond those small flags, within ten feet of any elector in that line;

(4) Exhibit any ticket or ballot which the elector intends to cast;

(5) Solicit or in any manner attempt to influence any elector in casting the elector's vote.

(B) Except as otherwise provided in division (C) of section 3503.23 of the Revised Code, no person who is not an election official, employee, observer, or police officer shall be allowed to enter the polling place during the election, except for the purpose of voting or assisting another person to vote as provided in section 3505.24 of the Revised Code.

(C) No more electors shall be allowed to approach the voting shelves at any time than there are voting shelves provided.

(D) The judges of precinct election officials and the police officer shall strictly enforce the observance of this section.

Sec. 3501.37.  After each election, the judges of elections precinct election officials of each precinct, except when the board of elections assumes the duty, shall see that the movable booths and other equipment are returned for safekeeping to the fiscal officer of the township or to the clerk or auditor of the municipal corporation in which the precinct is situated. The fiscal officer, clerk, or auditor shall have booths and equipment on hand and in place at the polling places in each precinct before the time for opening the polls on election days, and for this service the board may allow the necessary expenses incurred. In cities, this duty shall devolve on the board.

Sec. 3503.02.  All registrars and judges of elections precinct election officials, in determining the residence of a person offering to register or vote, shall be governed by the following rules:

(A) That place shall be considered the residence of a person in which the person's habitation is fixed and to which, whenever the person is absent, the person has the intention of returning.

(B) A person shall not be considered to have lost the person's residence who leaves the person's home and goes into another state or county of this state, for temporary purposes only, with the intention of returning.

(C) A person shall not be considered to have gained a residence in any county of this state into which the person comes for temporary purposes only, without the intention of making such county the permanent place of abode.

(D) The place where the family of a married person resides shall be considered to be the person's place of residence; except that when the spouses have separated and live apart, the place where such a spouse resides the length of time required to entitle a person to vote shall be considered to be the spouse's place of residence.

(E) If a person removes to another state with the intention of making such state the person's residence, the person shall be considered to have lost the person's residence in this state.

(F) Except as otherwise provided in division (G) of this section, if a person removes from this state and continuously resides outside this state for a period of four years or more, the person shall be considered to have lost the person's residence in this state, notwithstanding the fact that the person may entertain an intention to return at some future period.

(G)(1) If a person removes from this state to engage in the services of the United States government, the person shall not be considered to have lost the person's residence in this state, and likewise should the person enter the employment of the state, the place where such person resided at the time of the person's removal shall be considered to be the person's place of residence.

(2) If a person removes from this state to a location outside of the United States and the person does not become a resident of another state, the person shall not be considered to have lost the person's residence in this state. The place where the person resided at the time of the person's removal shall be considered to be the person's place of residence.

(3) If a person is eligible to vote in this state under division (D)(2) of section 3511.011 of the Revised Code, the place where the person's parent or legal guardian resided in this state prior to that parent or legal guardian's removal to a location outside of the United States shall be considered to be the person's place of residence.

(4) If an address that is considered to be a person's place of residence under division (G) of this section ceases to be a recognized residential address, the board of elections shall assign an address to the applicable person for voting purposes.

(H) If a person goes into another state and while there exercises the right of a citizen by voting, the person shall be considered to have lost the person's residence in this state.

(I) If a person does not have a fixed place of habitation, but has a shelter or other location at which the person has been a consistent or regular inhabitant and to which the person has the intention of returning, that shelter or other location shall be deemed the person's residence for the purpose of registering to vote.

Sec. 3503.26.  (A) All registration forms and lists, when not in official use by the registrars or judges of elections precinct election officials, shall be in the possession of the board of elections. Names and addresses of electors may be copied from the registration lists only in the office of the board when it is open for business; but no such copying shall be permitted during the period of time commencing twenty-one days before an election and ending on the eleventh day after an election if such copying will, in the opinion of the board, interfere with the necessary work of the board. The board shall keep in convenient form and available for public inspection a correct set of the registration lists of all precincts in the county.

(B) Notwithstanding division (A) of this section the board of elections shall maintain and make available for public inspection and copying at a reasonable cost all records concerning the implementation of programs and activities conducted for the purpose of ensuring the accuracy and currency of voter registration lists, including the names and addresses of all registered electors sent confirmation notices and whether or not the elector responded to the confirmation notice. The board shall maintain all records described in this division for a period of two years.

Sec. 3505.07.  (A) If the board of elections, by a unanimous vote of its members, or if the secretary of state, in the secretary of state's sole discretion, finds it impracticable to place the names of candidates for any office of a minor political subdivision in the county or the wording of any question or issue to be voted upon in such minor political subdivision on the ballots under sections 3505.01 to 3505.09 of the Revised Code, then such board may, or at the direction of the secretary of state shall, provide separate ballots for the candidates, question, or issue.

(B) If the secretary of state, in the secretary of state's sole discretion, determines that it is impracticable to place the names of candidates for any office or the wording for any question or issue to be voted upon on the ballot when the candidates, question, issue, or wording for the question or issue was ordered onto the ballot by a court of competent jurisdiction and the ballots have been printed prior to the court order, the board of elections, at the direction of the secretary of state, shall provide separate ballots for the candidates, question, or issue.

(C) All separate ballots provided for in this section shall conform in quality of paper, style of printing, form of ballot, arrangement of names, and in all other ways, in so far as practicable, with the provisions relating to the printing of the general official ballot. Separate ballot boxes shall be provided for each such separate kind of ballot.

Sec. 3505.08. (A) Ballots shall be provided by the board of elections for all general and special elections. The ballots shall be printed with black ink on No. 2 white book paper fifty pounds in weight per ream assuming such ream to consist of five hundred sheets of such paper twenty-five by thirty-eight inches in size. Each ballot shall have attached at the top two stubs, each of the width of the ballot and not less than one-half inch in length, except that, if the board of elections has an alternate method to account for the ballots that the secretary of state has authorized, each ballot may have only one stub that shall be the width of the ballot and not less than one-half inch in length. In the case of ballots with two stubs, the stubs shall be separated from the ballot and from each other by perforated lines. The top stub shall be known as Stub B and shall have printed on its face "Stub B." The other stub shall be known as Stub A and shall have printed on its face "Stub A." Each stub shall also have printed on its face "Consecutive Number .........."

Each ballot of each kind of ballot provided for use in each precinct shall be numbered consecutively beginning with number 1 by printing such number upon both of the stubs attached to the ballot. On ballots bearing the names of candidates, each candidate's name shall be printed in twelve point boldface upper case type in an enclosed rectangular space, and an enclosed blank rectangular space shall be provided at the left of the candidate's name. The name of the political party of a candidate nominated at a primary election or certified by a party committee shall be printed in ten point lightface upper and lower case type and shall be separated by a two point blank space. The name of each candidate shall be indented one space within the enclosed rectangular space, and the name of the political party shall be indented two spaces within the enclosed rectangular space.

The title of each office on the ballots shall be printed in twelve point boldface upper and lower case type in a separate enclosed rectangular space. A four point rule shall separate the name of a candidate or a group of candidates for the same office from the title of the office next appearing below on the ballot; a two point rule shall separate the title of the office from the names of candidates; and a one point rule shall separate names of candidates. Headings shall be printed in display Roman type. When the names of several candidates are grouped together as candidates for the same office, there shall be printed on the ballots immediately below the title of the office and within the separate rectangular space in which the title is printed "Vote for not more than ........," in six point boldface upper and lower case filling the blank space with that number which will indicate the number of persons who may be lawfully elected to the office.

Columns on ballots shall be separated from each other by a heavy vertical border or solid line at least one-eighth of an inch wide, and a similar vertical border or line shall enclose the left and right side of ballots. Ballots shall be trimmed along the sides close to such lines.

The ballots provided for by this section shall be comprised of four kinds of ballots designated as follows: office type ballot; nonpartisan ballot; questions and issues ballot; and presidential ballot.

On the back of each office type ballot shall be printed "Official Office Type Ballot;" on the back of each nonpartisan ballot shall be printed "Official Nonpartisan Ballot;" on the back of each questions and issues ballot shall be printed "Official Questions and Issues Ballot;" and on the back of each presidential ballot shall be printed "Official Presidential Ballot." On At the back end of every ballot also shall be printed the date of the election at which the ballot is used and the facsimile signatures of the members of the board of the county in which the ballot is used. For the purpose of identifying the kind of ballot, the back of every ballot may be numbered in the order the board shall determine. The numbers shall be printed in not less than thirty-six point type above the words "Official Office Type Ballot," "Official Nonpartisan Ballot," "Official Questions and Issues Ballot," or "Official Presidential Ballot," as the case may be. Ballot boxes A ballot box bearing corresponding numbers shall be furnished for each precinct in which the above-described numbered ballots are used.

On the back of every ballot used, there shall be a solid black line printed opposite the blank rectangular space that is used to mark the choice of the voter. This line shall be printed wide enough so that the mark in the blank rectangular space will not be visible from the back side of the ballot.

Sample ballots may be printed by the board of elections for all general elections. The ballots shall be printed on colored paper, and "Sample Ballot" shall be plainly printed in boldface type on the face of each ballot. In counties of less than one hundred thousand population, the board may print not more than five hundred sample ballots; in all other counties, it may print not more than one thousand sample ballots. The sample ballots shall not be distributed by a political party or a candidate, nor shall a political party or candidate cause their title or name to be imprinted on sample ballots.

(B) Notwithstanding division (A) of this section, in approving the form of an official ballot, the secretary of state may authorize the use of fonts, type face settings, and ballot formats other than those prescribed in that division.

Sec. 3505.16.  Before the opening of the polls, the package of supplies and the ballot boxes box shall be opened in the presence of the precinct officials. The ballot boxes box, the package of ballots, registration forms, and other supplies shall at all times be in full sight of the observers, and no ballot box or unused ballots during the balloting or counting shall be removed or screened from their full sight until the counting has been closed and the final returns completed and the certificate signed by the judges.

Sec. 3505.17.  If by accident or casualty the ballots or other required papers, lists, or supplies are lost or destroyed, or in case none are delivered at the polling place, or if during the time the polls are open additional ballots or supplies are required, the board of elections, upon requisition by telephone or in writing and signed by a majority of the precinct election judges officials of the precinct stating why such additional supplies are needed, shall supply them as speedily as possible.

Sec. 3505.18. (A)(1) When an elector appears in a polling place to vote, the elector shall announce to the precinct election officials the elector's full name and current address and provide proof of the elector's identity in the form of a current and valid photo identification, a military identification, or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document, other than a notice of an election mailed by a board of elections under section 3501.19 of the Revised Code or a notice of voter registration mailed by a board of elections under section 3503.19 of the Revised Code, that shows the name and current address of the elector. If the elector provides either a driver's license or a state identification card issued under section 4507.50 of the Revised Code that does not contain the elector's current residence address, the elector shall provide the last four digits of the elector's driver's license number or state identification card number, and the precinct election official shall mark the poll list or signature pollbook to indicate that the elector has provided a driver's license or state identification card number with a former address and record the last four digits of the elector's driver's license number or state identification card number.

(2) If an elector has but is unable to provide to the precinct election officials any of the forms of identification required under division (A)(1) of this section, but has a social security number, the elector may provide the last four digits of the elector's social security number. Upon providing the social security number information, the elector may cast a provisional ballot under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code, the envelope of which ballot shall include that social security number information.

(3) If an elector has but is unable to provide to the precinct election officials any of the forms of identification required under division (A)(1) of this section and if the elector has a social security number but is unable to provide the last four digits of the elector's social security number, the elector may cast a provisional ballot under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code.

(4) If an elector does not have any of the forms of identification required under division (A)(1) of this section and cannot provide the last four digits of the elector's social security number because the elector does not have a social security number, the elector may execute an affirmation under penalty of election falsification that the elector cannot provide the identification required under that division or the last four digits of the elector's social security number for those reasons. Upon signing the affirmation, the elector may cast a provisional ballot under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code. The secretary of state shall prescribe the form of the affirmation, which shall include spaces for all of the following:

(a) The elector's name;

(b) The elector's address;

(c) The current date;

(d) The elector's date of birth;

(e) The elector's signature.

(5) If an elector does not have any of the forms of identification required under division (A)(1) of this section and cannot provide the last four digits of the elector's social security number because the elector does not have a social security number, and if the elector declines to execute an affirmation under division (A)(4) of this section, the elector may cast a provisional ballot under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code, the envelope of which ballot shall include the elector's name.

(6) If an elector has but declines to provide to the precinct election officials any of the forms of identification required under division (A)(1) of this section or the elector has a social security number but declines to provide to the precinct election officials the last four digits of the elector's social security number, the elector may cast a provisional ballot under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code.

(B) After the elector has announced the elector's full name and current address and provided any of the forms of identification required under division (A)(1) of this section, the elector shall write the elector's name and address at the proper place in the poll list or signature pollbook provided for the purpose, except that if, for any reason, an elector is unable to write the elector's name and current address in the poll list or signature pollbook, the elector may make the elector's mark at the place intended for the elector's name, and a precinct election official shall write the name of the elector at the proper place on the poll list or signature pollbook following the elector's mark. The making of such a mark shall be attested by the precinct election official, who shall evidence the same by signing the precinct election official's name on the poll list or signature pollbook as a witness to the mark. Alternatively, if applicable, an attorney in fact acting pursuant to section 3501.382 of the Revised Code may sign the elector's signature in the poll list or signature pollbook in accordance with that section.

The elector's signature in the poll list or signature pollbook then shall be compared with the elector's signature on the elector's registration form or a digitized signature list as provided for in section 3503.13 of the Revised Code, and if, in the opinion of a majority of the precinct election officials, the signatures are the signatures of the same person, the election officials shall enter the date of the election on the registration form or shall record the date by other means prescribed by the secretary of state. The validity of an attorney in fact's signature on behalf of an elector shall be determined in accordance with section 3501.382 of the Revised Code.

If the right of the elector to vote is not then challenged, or, if being challenged, the elector establishes the elector's right to vote, the elector shall be allowed to proceed to use the voting machine. If voting machines are not being used in that precinct, the judge precinct election official in charge of ballots shall then detach the next ballots to be issued to the elector from Stub B attached to each ballot, leaving Stub A attached to each ballot, hand the ballots to the elector, and call the elector's name and the stub number on each of the ballots. The judge precinct election official shall enter the stub numbers opposite the signature of the elector in the pollbook. The elector shall then retire to one of the voting compartments to mark the elector's ballots. No mark shall be made on any ballot which would in any way enable any person to identify the person who voted the ballot.

Sec. 3505.20.  Any person offering to vote may be challenged at the polling place by any judge of elections precinct election official. If the board of elections has ruled on the question presented by a challenge prior to election day, its finding and decision shall be final, and the presiding judge voting location manager shall be notified in writing. If the board has not ruled, the question shall be determined as set forth in this section. If any person is so challenged as unqualified to vote, the presiding judge voting location manager shall tender the person the following oath: "You do swear or affirm under penalty of election falsification that you will fully and truly answer all of the following questions put to you concerning your qualifications as an elector at this election."

(A) If the person is challenged as unqualified on the ground that the person is not a citizen, the judges precinct election officials shall put the following questions:

(1) Are you a citizen of the United States?

(2) Are you a native or naturalized citizen?

(3) Where were you born?

(4) What official documentation do you possess to prove your citizenship? Please provide that documentation.

If the person offering to vote claims to be a naturalized citizen of the United States, the person shall, before the vote is received, produce for inspection of the judges precinct election officials a certificate of naturalization and declare under oath that the person is the identical person named in the certificate. If the person states under oath that, by reason of the naturalization of the person's parents or one of them, the person has become a citizen of the United States, and when or where the person's parents were naturalized, the certificate of naturalization need not be produced. If the person is unable to provide a certificate of naturalization on the day of the election, the judges precinct election officials shall provide to the person, and the person may vote, a provisional ballot under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code. The provisional ballot shall not be counted unless it is properly completed and the board of elections determines that the voter is properly registered and eligible to vote in the election.

(B) If the person is challenged as unqualified on the ground that the person has not resided in this state for thirty days immediately preceding the election, the judges precinct election officials shall put the following questions:

(1) Have you resided in this state for thirty days immediately preceding this election? If so, where have you resided?

(2) Did you properly register to vote?

(3) Can you provide some form of identification containing your current mailing address in this precinct? Please provide that identification.

(4) Have you voted or attempted to vote at any other location in this or in any other state at this election?

(5) Have you applied for an absent voter's ballot in any state for this election?

If the judges precinct election officials are unable to verify the person's eligibility to cast a ballot in the election, the judges precinct election officials shall provide to the person, and the person may vote, a provisional ballot under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code. The provisional ballot shall not be counted unless it is properly completed and the board of elections determines that the voter is properly registered and eligible to vote in the election.

(C) If the person is challenged as unqualified on the ground that the person is not a resident of the precinct where the person offers to vote, the judges precinct election officials shall put the following questions:

(1) Do you reside in this precinct?

(2) When did you move into this precinct?

(3) When you came into this precinct, did you come for a temporary purpose merely or for the purpose of making it your home?

(4) What is your current mailing address?

(5) Do you have some official identification containing your current address in this precinct? Please provide that identification.

(6) Have you voted or attempted to vote at any other location in this or in any other state at this election?

(7) Have you applied for any absent voter's ballot in any state for this election?

The judges precinct election officials shall direct an individual who is not in the appropriate polling place to the appropriate polling place. If the individual refuses to go to the appropriate polling place, or if the judges precinct election officials are unable to verify the person's eligibility to cast a ballot in the election, the judges precinct election officials shall provide to the person, and the person may vote, a provisional ballot under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code. The provisional ballot shall not be counted unless it is properly completed and the board of elections determines that the voter is properly registered and eligible to vote in the election.

(D) If the person is challenged as unqualified on the ground that the person is not of legal voting age, the judges precinct election officials shall put the following questions:

(1) Are you eighteen years of age or more?

(2) What is your date of birth?

(3) Do you have some official identification verifying your age? Please provide that identification.

If the judges precinct election officials are unable to verify the person's age and eligibility to cast a ballot in the election, the judges precinct election officials shall provide to the person, and the person may vote, a provisional ballot under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code. The provisional ballot shall not be counted unless it is properly completed and the board of elections determines that the voter is properly registered and eligible to vote in the election.

The presiding judge voting location manager shall put such other questions to the person challenged as are necessary to determine the person's qualifications as an elector at the election. If a person challenged refuses to answer fully any question put to the person, is unable to answer the questions as they were answered on the registration form by the person under whose name the person offers to vote, or refuses to sign the person's name or make the person's mark, or if for any other reason a majority of the judges precinct election officials believes the person is not entitled to vote, the judges precinct election officials shall provide to the person, and the person may vote, a provisional ballot under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code. The provisional ballot shall not be counted unless it is properly completed and the board of elections determines that the voter is properly registered and eligible to vote in the election.

A qualified citizen who has certified the citizen's intention to vote for president and vice-president as provided by Chapter 3504. of the Revised Code shall be eligible to receive only the ballot containing presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

However, prior to the nineteenth day before the day of an election and in accordance with section 3503.24 of the Revised Code, any person qualified to vote may challenge the right of any other person to be registered as a voter, or the right to cast an absent voter's ballot, or to make application for such ballot. Such challenge shall be made in accordance with section 3503.24 of the Revised Code, and the board of elections of the county in which the voting residence of the challenged voter is situated shall make a final determination relative to the legality of such registration or application.

Sec. 3505.21. (A) As used in this section, "during the casting of the ballots" includes any time during which a board of elections permits an elector to vote an absent voter's ballot in person at the office of the board and any time ballots may be cast in a precinct polling place on the day of an election.

(B) At any primary, special, or general election, any political party supporting candidates to be voted upon at such election and any group of five or more candidates may appoint to the board of elections or to any of the precincts in the county or city one person, a qualified elector, who shall serve as observer for such party or such candidates during the casting of the ballots and during the counting of the ballots; provided that separate observers may be appointed to serve during the casting and during the counting of the ballots. No candidate, no uniformed peace officer as defined by section 2935.01 of the Revised Code, no uniformed state highway patrol trooper, no uniformed member of any fire department, no uniformed member of the armed services, no uniformed member of the organized militia, no person wearing any other uniform, and no person carrying a firearm or other deadly weapon shall serve as an observer, nor shall any candidate be represented by more than one observer at any one precinct or at the board of elections except that a candidate who is a member of a party controlling committee, as defined in section 3517.03 of the Revised Code, may serve as an observer. Any

(C) Any political party or group of candidates appointing observers shall notify the board of elections of the names and addresses of its appointees and the precincts at which they shall serve or that they will serve at the board of elections. Notification of observers appointed to serve on the day of an election shall take place not less than eleven days before the day of the election on forms prescribed by the secretary of state and may be amended by filing an amendment with the board of elections at any time until four p.m. of the day before the election. Notification of observers appointed to serve at the office of the board during the time absent voter's ballots may be cast in person shall take place not less than eleven days before absent voter's ballots are required to be ready for use pursuant to section 3509.01 of the Revised Code on forms prescribed by the secretary of state and may be amended by filing an amendment with the board of elections at any time until four p.m. of the day before the observer is appointed to serve. The observer serving on behalf of a political party shall be appointed in writing by the chairperson and secretary of the respective controlling party committee. Observers serving for any five or more candidates shall have their certificates signed by those candidates. Observers appointed to a precinct may file their certificates of appointment with the presiding judge voting location manager of the precinct at the meeting on the evening prior to the election, or with the presiding judge voting location manager of the precinct on the day of the election. Upon Observers appointed to the office of the board to observe the casting of absent voter's ballots in person prior to the day of the election may file their certificates with the director of the board of elections the day before or on the day that the observers are scheduled to serve at the office of the board.

Upon the filing of a certificate, the person named as observer in the certificate shall be permitted to be in and about the applicable polling place for the precinct during the casting of the ballots and shall be permitted to watch every proceeding of the judges of elections precinct election officials from the time of the opening until the closing of the polls. The observer also may inspect the counting of all ballots in the polling place or board of elections from the time of the closing of the polls until the counting is completed and the final returns are certified and signed. Observers appointed to serve at the board of elections on the day of an election under this section may observe at the board of elections and may observe at any precinct in the county. The judges of elections precinct election officials shall protect such observers in all of the rights and privileges granted to them by Title XXXV of the Revised Code.

(D) No persons other than the judges of elections precinct election officials, the observers, a police officer, other persons who are detailed to any precinct on request of the board of elections, or the secretary of state or the secretary of state's legal representative shall be admitted to the polling place, or any room in which a board of elections is counting ballots, after the closing of the polls until the counting, certifying, and signing of the final returns of each election have been completed.

(E) Not later than four p.m. of the twentieth day prior to an election at which questions are to be submitted to a vote of the people, any committee that in good faith advocates or opposes a measure may file a petition with the board of any county asking that the petitioners be recognized as the committee entitled to appoint observers to the count at the election. If more than one committee alleging themselves to advocate or oppose the same measure file such a petition, the board shall decide and announce by registered mail to each committee not less than twelve days immediately preceding the election which committee is recognized as being entitled to appoint observers. The decision shall not be final, but any aggrieved party may institute mandamus proceedings in the court of common pleas of the county in which the board has jurisdiction to compel the judges of elections precinct election officials to accept the appointees of such aggrieved party. Any such recognized committee may appoint an observer to the count in each precinct. Committees appointing observers shall notify the board of elections of the names and addresses of its appointees and the precincts at which they shall serve. Notification shall take place not less than eleven days before the election on forms prescribed by the secretary of state and may be amended by filing an amendment with the board of elections at any time until four p.m. on the day before the election. A person so appointed shall file the person's certificate of appointment with the presiding judge voting location manager in the precinct in which the person has been appointed to serve. Observers shall file their certificates before the polls are closed. In no case shall more than six observers be appointed for any one election in any one precinct. If more than three questions are to be voted on, the committees which have appointed observers may agree upon not to exceed six observers, and the judges of elections precinct election officials shall appoint such observers. If such committees fail to agree, the judges of elections precinct election officials shall appoint six observers from the appointees so certified, in such manner that each side of the several questions shall be represented.

(F) No person shall serve as an observer at any precinct or at the board of elections unless the board of elections of the county in which such observer is to serve has first been notified of the name, address, and precinct location at which such observer is to serve. Notification to the board of elections shall be given by the political party, group of candidates, or committee appointing such observer as prescribed in this section. No such observers shall receive any compensation from the county, municipal corporation, or township, and they shall take the following oath, to be administered by one of the judges of elections precinct election officials:

"You do solemnly swear that you will faithfully and impartially discharge the duties as an official observer, assigned by law; that you will not cause any delay to persons offering to vote; and that you will not disclose or communicate to any person how any elector has voted at such election."

Sec. 3505.23.  No voter shall be allowed to occupy a voting compartment or use a voting machine more than five minutes when all the voting compartments or machines are in use and voters are waiting to occupy them. Except as otherwise provided by section 3505.24 of the Revised Code, no voter shall occupy a voting compartment or machine with another person or speak to anyone, nor shall anyone speak to the voter, while the voter is in a voting compartment or machine.

In precincts that do not use voting machines the following procedure shall be followed:

If a voter tears, soils, defaces, or erroneously marks a ballot the voter may return it to the precinct election officials and a second ballot shall be issued to the voter. Before returning a torn, soiled, defaced, or erroneously marked ballot, the voter shall fold it so as to conceal any marks the voter made upon it, but the voter shall not remove Stub A therefrom. If the voter tears, soils, defaces, or erroneously marks such second ballot, the voter may return it to the precinct election officials, and a third ballot shall be issued to the voter. In no case shall more than three ballots be issued to a voter. Upon receiving a returned torn, soiled, defaced, or erroneously marked ballot the precinct election officials shall detach Stub A therefrom, write "Defaced" on the back of such ballot, and place the stub and the ballot in the separate containers provided therefor.

No elector shall leave the polling place until the elector returns to the precinct election officials every ballot issued to the elector with Stub A on each ballot attached thereto, regardless of whether the elector has or has not placed any marks upon the ballot.

Before leaving the voting compartment, the voter shall fold each ballot marked by the voter so that no part of the face of the ballot is visible, and so that the printing thereon indicating the kind of ballot it is and the facsimile signatures of the members of the board of elections are visible. The voter shall then leave the voting compartment, deliver the voter's ballots, and state the voter's name to the judge precinct election official having charge of the ballot boxes box, who shall announce the name, detach Stub A from each ballot, and announce the number on the stubs. The judges precinct election officials in charge of the poll lists or poll books shall check to ascertain whether the number so announced is the number on Stub B of the ballots issued to such voter, and if no discrepancy appears to exist, the judge precinct election official in charge of the ballot boxes box shall, in the presence of the voter, deposit each such ballot in the proper ballot box and shall place Stub A from each ballot in the container provided therefor. The voter shall then immediately leave the polling place.

No ballot delivered by a voter to the judge precinct election official in charge of the ballot boxes box with Stub A detached therefrom, and only ballots provided in accordance with Title XXXV of the Revised Code, shall be voted or deposited in the ballot boxes box.

In marking a presidential ballot, the voter shall record the vote in the manner provided on the ballot next to the names of the candidates for the offices of president and vice-president. Such ballot shall be considered and counted as a vote for each of the candidates for election as presidential elector whose names were certified to the secretary of state by the political party of such nominees for president and vice-president.

In marking an office type ballot or nonpartisan ballot, the voter shall record the vote in the manner provided on the ballot next to the name of each candidate for whom the voter desires to vote.

In marking a primary election ballot, the voter shall record the vote in the manner provided on the ballot next to the name of each candidate for whom the voter desires to vote. If the voter desires to vote for the nomination of a person whose name is not printed on the primary election ballot, the voter may do so by writing such person's name on the ballot in the proper place provided for such purpose.

In marking a questions and issues ballot, the voter shall record the vote in the manner provided on the ballot at the left or at the right of "YES" or "NO" or other words of similar import which are printed on the ballot to enable the voter to indicate how the voter votes in connection with each question or issue upon which the voter desires to vote.

In marking any ballot on which a blank space has been provided wherein an elector may write in the name of a person for whom the elector desires to vote, the elector shall write such person's name in such blank space and on no other place on the ballot. Unless specific provision is made by statute, no blank space shall be provided on a ballot for write-in votes, and any names written on a ballot other than in a blank space provided therefor shall not be counted or recorded.

Sec. 3505.24.  Any elector who declares to the presiding judge of elections voting location manager that the elector is unable to mark the elector's ballot by reason of blindness, disability, or illiteracy may be accompanied in the voting booth and aided by any person of the elector's choice, other than the elector's employer, an agent of the elector's employer, or an officer or agent of the elector's union, if any. The elector also may request and receive assistance in the marking of the elector's ballot from two election officials of different political parties. Any person providing assistance in the marking of an elector's ballot under this section shall thereafter provide no information in regard to the marking of that ballot.

Any judge precinct election official may require a declaration of inability to be made by the elector under oath before the judge official. Assistance shall not be rendered for causes other than those specified in this section, and no candidate whose name appears on the ballot shall assist any person in marking that person's ballot.

Sec. 3505.26.  At the time for closing the polls, the presiding judge voting location manager shall by proclamation announce that the polls are closed.

The judges precinct election officials shall then in the presence of observers proceed as follows:

(A) Count the number of electors who voted, as shown on the pollbooks;

(B) Count the unused ballots without removing stubs;

(C) Count the soiled and defaced ballots;

(D) Insert the totals of (A), (B), and (C) on the report forms provided therefor in the pollbook;

(E) Count the voted ballots. If the number of voted ballots exceeds the number of voters whose names appear upon the pollbooks, the presiding judge voting location manager shall enter on the pollbooks an explanation of that discrepancy, and that explanation, if agreed to, shall be subscribed to by all of the judges precinct election officials. Any judge precinct official having a different explanation shall enter it in the pollbooks and subscribe to it.

(F) Put the unused ballots with stubs attached, and soiled and defaced ballots with stubs attached, in the envelopes or containers provided therefor, certify the number, and then proceed to count and tally the votes in the manner prescribed by section 3505.27 of the Revised Code and certify the result of the election to the board of elections.

Sec. 3505.28. (A)(1) No ballot shall be counted which is marked contrary to law, except that no ballot shall be rejected for any technical error unless it is impossible to determine the voter's choice. If

(2) A ballot is marked contrary to law and does not contain a technical error if the voter marks more selections for a particular office, question, or issue than the number of selections that the voter is allowed by law to make for that office, question, or issue.

(3) Except as otherwise provided in this division, a voter makes more selections for a particular office than the voter is allowed by law to make for that office if the voter marks the ballot for a candidate and also writes in the name of a candidate as a write-in vote. If either of the following apply, then the ballot is not marked contrary to law and the ballot shall be counted:

(a)(i) The voter marks the ballot for a candidate and writes in the same candidate's name;

(ii) The ballots are counted at a central location using automatic tabulating equipment; and

(iii) At least three members of the board of elections agree that the candidate's name, as it appears on the ballot, and the name of the candidate written in by the voter identify the same candidate.

(b) The voter did not make more selections for a particular office, question, or issue than the number of selections that the voter is allowed by law to make.

(4) If the voter makes more selections for a particular office, question, or issue than the number of selections that the voter is allowed by law to make, the voter's ballot shall be invalidated for that office, question, or issue, but shall not be invalidated for any other office, question, or issue for which the voter has not marked an excess number of selections.

(B) If two or more ballots are found folded together among the ballots removed from a ballot box, they shall be deemed to be fraudulent. Such ballots shall not be counted. They shall be marked "Fraudulent" and shall be placed in an envelope indorsed "Not Counted" with the reasons therefor, and such envelope shall be delivered to the board of elections together with other uncounted ballots.

(C) No ballot shall be rejected because of being marked with ink or by any writing instrument other than one of the pencils provided by the board of elections.

Sec. 3505.29.  From the time the ballot box is opened and the count of ballots begun until the ballots are counted and certificates of votes cast are made out, signed, certified and given to the presiding judge voting location manager for delivery to the headquarters of the board of elections, the judges precinct election officials in each precinct shall not separate, nor shall a judge precinct election official leave the polling place except from unavoidable necessity. In cases of illness or unavoidable necessity, the board may substitute another qualified person for any precinct official so incapacitated.

Sec. 3505.30.  When the results of the ballots have been ascertained, such results shall be embodied in a summary statement to be prepared by the judges precinct election officials in duplicate, on forms provided by the board of elections. One copy shall be certified by the judges precinct election officials and posted on the front of the polling place, and one copy, similarly certified, shall be transmitted without delay to the board in a sealed envelope along with the other returns of the election. The board shall, immediately upon receipt of such summary statements, compile and prepare an unofficial count and upon its completion shall transmit prepaid, immediately by telephone, facsimile machine, or other telecommunications device, the results of such unofficial count to the secretary of state, or to the board of the most populous county of the district which is authorized to canvass the returns. Such count, in no event, shall be made later than twelve noon on the day following the election. The board shall also, at the same time, certify the results thereof to the secretary of state by certified mail. The board shall remain in session from the time of the opening of the polls, continuously, until the results of the election are received from every precinct in the county and such results are communicated to the secretary of state.

Sec. 3505.31.  When the results of the voting in a polling place on the day of an election have been determined and entered upon the proper forms and the certifications of those results have been signed by the precinct officials, those officials, before leaving the polling place, shall place all ballots that they have counted in containers provided for that purpose by the board of elections, and shall seal each container in a manner that it cannot be opened without breaking the seal or the material of which the container is made. They shall also seal the pollbook, poll list or signature pollbook, and tally sheet in a manner that the data contained in these items cannot be seen without breaking the seals. On the outside of these items shall be a plain indication that they are to be filed with the board. The presiding judge voting location manager and an employee or appointee of the board of elections who has taken an oath to uphold the laws and constitution of this state, including an oath that the person will promptly and securely perform the duties required under this section and who is a member of a different political party than the presiding judge voting location manager, shall then deliver to the board the containers of ballots and the sealed pollbook, poll list, and tally sheet, together with all other election reports, materials, and supplies required to be delivered to the board.

The board shall carefully preserve all ballots prepared and provided by it for use in an election, whether used or unused, for sixty days after the day of the election, except that, if an election includes the nomination or election of candidates for any of the offices of president, vice-president, presidential elector, member of the senate of the congress of the United States, or member of the house of representatives of the congress of the United States, the board shall carefully preserve all ballots prepared and provided by it for use in that election, whether used or unused, for twenty-two months after the day of the election. If an election is held within that sixty-day period, the board shall have authority to transfer those ballots to other containers to preserve them until the sixty-day period has expired. After that sixty-day period, the ballots shall be disposed of by the board in a manner that the board orders, or where voting machines have been used the counters may be turned back to zero; provided that the secretary of state, within that sixty-day period, may order the board to preserve the ballots or any part of the ballots for a longer period of time, in which event the board shall preserve those ballots for that longer period of time.

In counties where voting machines are used, if an election is to be held within the sixty days immediately following a primary, general, or special election or within any period of time within which the ballots have been ordered preserved by the secretary of state or a court of competent jurisdiction, the board, after giving notice to all interested parties and affording them an opportunity to have a representative present, shall open the compartments of the machines and, without unlocking the machines, shall recanvass the vote cast in them as if a recount were being held. The results shall be certified by the board, and this certification shall be filed in the board's office and retained for the remainder of the period for which ballots must be kept. After preparation of the certificate, the counters may be turned back to zero, and the machines may be used for the election.

The board shall carefully preserve the pollbook, poll list or signature pollbook, and tally sheet delivered to it from each polling place until it has completed the official canvass of the election returns from all precincts in which electors were entitled to vote at an election, and has prepared and certified the abstracts of election returns, as required by law. The board shall not break, or permit anyone to break, the seals upon the pollbook, poll list or signature pollbook, and tally sheet, or make, or permit any one to make, any changes or notations in these items, while they are in its custody, except as provided by section 3505.32 of the Revised Code.

Pollbooks and poll lists or signature pollbooks of a party primary election delivered to the board from polling places shall be carefully preserved by it for two years after the day of election in which they were used, and shall then be disposed of by the board in a manner that the board orders.

Pollbooks, poll lists or signature pollbooks, tally sheets, summary statements, and other records and returns of an election delivered to it from polling places shall be carefully preserved by the board for two years after the day of the election in which they were used, and shall then be disposed of by the board in a manner that the board orders.

Sec. 3506.021.  (A) A board of elections may adopt the use of any electronic pollbook that has been certified for use in this state in accordance with section 3506.05 of the Revised Code, instead of using poll lists or signature pollbooks. A board of elections that opts to use electronic pollbooks shall notify the secretary of state of that decision.

(B) The secretary of state shall provide each board of elections that adopts the use of electronic pollbooks under division (A) of this section with rules, instructions, directives, and advisories regarding the examination, testing, and use of electronic pollbooks, including rules regarding the sealing of the information in those pollbooks as required under section 3505.31 of the Revised Code.

(C) As used in this section, "electronic pollbook" has the same meaning as in section 3506.05 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3506.05.  (A) As used in this section, except:

(1) "Electronic pollbook" means an electronic list of registered voters for a particular precinct or polling location that may be transported to a polling location.

(2) Except when used as part of the phrase "tabulating equipment" or "automatic tabulating equipment,":

(1) "Equipment" "equipment" means a voting machine, marking device, automatic tabulating equipment, or software, or an electronic pollbook.

(2)(3) "Vendor" means the person that owns, manufactures, distributes, or has the legal right to control the use of equipment, or the person's agent.

(B) No voting machine, marking device, automatic tabulating equipment, or software for the purpose of casting or tabulating votes or for communications among systems involved in the tabulation, storage, or casting of votes, and no electronic pollbook, shall be purchased, leased, put in use, or continued to be used, except for experimental use as provided in division (B) of section 3506.04 of the Revised Code, unless it, a manual of procedures governing its use, and training materials, service, and other support arrangements have been certified by the secretary of state and unless the board of elections of each county where the equipment will be used has assured that a demonstration of the use of the equipment has been made available to all interested electors. The secretary of state shall appoint a board of voting machine examiners to examine and approve equipment and its related manuals and support arrangements. The board shall consist of four members, who shall be appointed as follows:

(1) Two members appointed by the secretary of state.

(2) One member appointed by either the speaker of the house of representatives or the minority leader of the house of representatives, whichever is a member of the opposite political party from the one to which the secretary of state belongs.

(3) One member appointed by either the president of the senate or the minority leader of the senate, whichever is a member of the opposite political party from the one to which the secretary of state belongs.

In all cases of a tie vote or a disagreement in the board, if no decision can be arrived at, the board shall submit the matter in controversy to the secretary of state, who shall summarily decide the question, and the secretary of state's decision shall be final. Each member of the board shall be a competent and experienced election officer or a person who is knowledgeable about the operation of voting equipment and shall serve during the secretary of state's term. Any vacancy on the board shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. The secretary of state shall provide staffing assistance to the board, at the board's request.

For the member's service, each member of the board shall receive three hundred dollars per day for each combination of marking device, tabulating equipment, and voting machine, or electronic pollbook examined and reported, but in no event shall a member receive more than six hundred dollars to examine and report on any one marking device, item of tabulating equipment, or voting machine, or electronic pollbook. Each member of the board shall be reimbursed for expenses the member incurs during an examination or during the performance of any related duties that may be required by the secretary of state. Reimbursement of these expenses shall be made in accordance with, and shall not exceed, the rates provided for under section 126.31 of the Revised Code.

Neither the secretary of state nor the board, nor any public officer who participates in the authorization, examination, testing, or purchase of equipment, shall have any pecuniary interest in the equipment or any affiliation with the vendor.

(C)(1) A vendor who desires to have the secretary of state certify equipment shall first submit the equipment, all current related procedural manuals, and a current description of all related support arrangements to the board of voting machine examiners for examination, testing, and approval. The submission shall be accompanied by a fee of two thousand four hundred dollars and a detailed explanation of the construction and method of operation of the equipment, a full statement of its advantages, and a list of the patents and copyrights used in operations essential to the processes of vote recording and tabulating, vote storage, system security, pollbook storage and security, and other crucial operations of the equipment as may be determined by the board. An additional fee, in an amount to be set by rules promulgated by the board, may be imposed to pay for the costs of alternative testing or testing by persons other than board members, record-keeping, and other extraordinary costs incurred in the examination process. Moneys not used shall be returned to the person or entity submitting the equipment for examination.

(2) Fees collected by the secretary of state under this section shall be deposited into the state treasury to the credit of the board of voting machine examiners fund, which is hereby created. All moneys credited to this fund shall be used solely for the purpose of paying for the services and expenses of each member of the board or for other expenses incurred relating to the examination, testing, reporting, or certification of voting machine devices equipment, the performance of any related duties as required by the secretary of state, or the reimbursement of any person submitting an examination fee as provided in this chapter.

(D) Within sixty days after the submission of the equipment and payment of the fee, or as soon thereafter as is reasonably practicable, but in any event within not more than ninety days after the submission and payment, the board of voting machine examiners shall examine the equipment and file with the secretary of state a written report on the equipment with its recommendations and, if applicable, its determination or condition of approval regarding whether the equipment, manual, and other related materials or arrangements meet the criteria set forth in sections 3506.07 and 3506.10 of the Revised Code and can be safely used by the voters at elections under the conditions prescribed in Title XXXV of the Revised Code, or a written statement of reasons for which testing requires a longer period. The board may grant temporary approval for the purpose of allowing experimental use of equipment. If the board finds that the equipment meets the any applicable criteria set forth in sections 3506.06, 3506.07, and 3506.10 of the Revised Code, can be used safely and, if applicable, can be depended upon to record and count accurately and continuously the votes of electors, and has the capacity to be warranted, maintained, and serviced, it shall approve the equipment and recommend that the secretary of state certify the equipment. The secretary of state shall notify all boards of elections of any such certification. Equipment of the same model and make, if it provides for recording of voter intent, system security, voter privacy, retention of vote, and communication of voting records operates in an identical manner, may then be adopted for use at elections.

(E) The vendor shall notify the secretary of state, who shall then notify the board of voting machine examiners, of any enhancement and any significant adjustment to the hardware or software that could result in a patent or copyright change or that significantly alters the methods of recording voter intent, system security, voter privacy, retention of the vote, communication of voting records, and connections between the system and other systems. The vendor shall provide the secretary of state with an updated operations manual for the equipment, and the secretary of state shall forward the manual to the board. Upon receiving such a notification and manual, the board may require the vendor to submit the equipment to an examination and test in order for the equipment to remain certified. The board or the secretary of state shall periodically examine, test, and inspect certified equipment to determine continued compliance with the requirements of this chapter and the initial certification. Any examination, test, or inspection conducted for the purpose of continuing certification of any equipment in which a significant problem has been uncovered or in which a record of continuing problems exists shall be performed pursuant to divisions (C) and (D) of this section, in the same manner as the examination, test, or inspection is performed for initial approval and certification.

(F) If, at any time after the certification of equipment, the board of voting machine examiners or the secretary of state is notified by a board of elections of any significant problem with the equipment or determines that the equipment fails to meet the requirements necessary for approval or continued compliance with the requirements of this chapter, or if the board of voting machine examiners determines that there are significant enhancements or adjustments to the hardware or software, or if notice of such enhancements or adjustments has not been given as required by division (E) of this section, the secretary of state shall notify the users and vendors of that equipment that certification of the equipment may be withdrawn.

(G)(1) The notice given by the secretary of state under division (F) of this section shall be in writing and shall specify both of the following:

(a) The reasons why the certification may be withdrawn;

(b) The date on which certification will be withdrawn unless the vendor takes satisfactory corrective measures or explains why there are no problems with the equipment or why the enhancements or adjustments to the equipment are not significant.

(2) A vendor who receives a notice under division (F) of this section shall, within thirty days after receiving it, submit to the board of voting machine examiners in writing a description of the corrective measures taken and the date on which they were taken, or the explanation required under division (G)(1)(b) of this section.

(3) Not later than fifteen days after receiving a written description or explanation under division (G)(2) of this section from a vendor, the board shall determine whether the corrective measures taken or the explanation is satisfactory to allow continued certification of the equipment, and the secretary of state shall send the vendor a written notice of the board's determination, specifying the reasons for it. If the board has determined that the measures taken or the explanation given is unsatisfactory, the notice shall include the effective date of withdrawal of the certification. This date may be different from the date originally specified in division (G)(1)(b) of this section.

(4) A vendor who receives a notice under division (G)(3) of this section indicating a decision to withdraw certification may, within thirty days after receiving it, request in writing that the board hold a hearing to reconsider its decision. Any interested party shall be given the opportunity to submit testimony or documentation in support of or in opposition to the board's recommendation to withdraw certification. Failure of the vendor to take appropriate steps as described in division (G)(1)(b) or to comply with division (G)(2) of this section results in a waiver of the vendor's rights under division (G)(4) of this section.

(H)(1) The secretary of state, in consultation with the board of voting machine examiners, shall establish, by rule, guidelines for the approval, certification, and continued certification of the voting machines, marking devices, and tabulating equipment, and electronic pollbooks to be used under Title XXXV of the Revised Code. The guidelines shall establish procedures requiring vendors or computer software developers to place in escrow with an independent escrow agent approved by the secretary of state a copy of all source code and related documentation, together with periodic updates as they become known or available. The secretary of state shall require that the documentation include a system configuration and that the source code include all relevant program statements in low- or high-level languages. As used in this division, "source code" does not include variable codes created for specific elections.

(2) Nothing in any rule adopted under division (H) of this section shall be construed to limit the ability of the secretary of state to follow or adopt, or to preclude the secretary of state from following or adopting, any guidelines proposed by the federal election commission, any entity authorized by the federal election commission to propose guidelines, the election assistance commission, or any entity authorized by the election assistance commission to propose guidelines.

(3)(a) Before the initial certification of any direct recording electronic voting machine with a voter verified paper audit trail, and as a condition for the continued certification and use of those machines, the secretary of state shall establish, by rule, standards for the certification of those machines. Those standards shall include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

(i) A definition of a voter verified paper audit trail as a paper record of the voter's choices that is verified by the voter prior to the casting of the voter's ballot and that is securely retained by the board of elections;

(ii) Requirements that the voter verified paper audit trail shall not be retained by any voter and shall not contain individual voter information;

(iii) A prohibition against the production by any direct recording electronic voting machine of anything that legally could be removed by the voter from the polling place, such as a receipt or voter confirmation;

(iv) A requirement that paper used in producing a voter verified paper audit trail be sturdy, clean, and resistant to degradation;

(v) A requirement that the voter verified paper audit trail shall be capable of being optically scanned for the purpose of conducting a recount or other audit of the voting machine and shall be readable in a manner that makes the voter's ballot choices obvious to the voter without the use of computer or electronic codes;

(vi) A requirement, for office-type ballots, that the voter verified paper audit trail include the name of each candidate selected by the voter;

(vii) A requirement, for questions and issues ballots, that the voter verified paper audit trail include the title of the question or issue, the name of the entity that placed the question or issue on the ballot, and the voter's ballot selection on that question or issue, but not the entire text of the question or issue.

(b) The secretary of state, by rule adopted under Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, may waive the requirement under division (H)(3)(a)(v) of this section, if the secretary of state determines that the requirement is cost prohibitive.

(4)(a) Except as otherwise provided in division (H)(4)(c) of this section, any voting machine, marking device, or automatic tabulating equipment initially certified or acquired on or after December 1, 2008, shall have the most recent federal certification number issued by the election assistance commission.

(b) Any voting machine, marking device, or automatic tabulating equipment certified for use in this state on September 12, 2008, shall meet, as a condition of continued certification and use, the voting system standards adopted by the federal election commission in 2002.

(c) A county that acquires additional voting machines, marking devices, or automatic tabulating equipment on or after December 1, 2008, shall not be considered to have acquired those machines, devices, or equipment on or after December 1, 2008, for the purpose of division (H)(4)(a) of this section if all of the following apply:

(i) The voting machines, marking devices, or automatic tabulating equipment acquired are the same as the machines, devices, or equipment currently used in that county.

(ii) The acquisition of the voting machines, marking devices, or automatic tabulating equipment does not replace or change the primary voting system used in that county.

(iii) The acquisition of the voting machines, marking devices, or automatic tabulating equipment is for the purpose of replacing inoperable machines, devices, or equipment or for the purpose providing additional machines, devices, or equipment required to meet the allocation requirements established pursuant to division (I) of section 3501.11 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3506.12.  In counties where marking devices, automatic tabulating equipment, voting machines, or any combination of these are in use or are to be used, the board of elections:

(A) May combine, rearrange, and enlarge precincts; but the board shall arrange for a sufficient number of these devices to accommodate the number of electors in each precinct as determined by the number of votes cast in that precinct at the most recent election for the office of governor, taking into consideration the size and location of each selected polling place, available parking, handicap accessibility and other accessibility to the polling place, and the number of candidates and issues to be voted on. Notwithstanding section 3501.22 of the Revised Code, the board may appoint more than four precinct officers to each precinct if this is made necessary by the number of voting machines to be used in that precinct.

(B) Except as otherwise provided in this division, shall establish one or more counting stations to receive voted ballots and other precinct election supplies after the polling precincts are closed. Those stations shall be under the supervision and direction of the board of elections. Processing and counting of voted ballots, and the preparation of summary sheets, shall be done in the presence of observers approved by the board. A certified copy of the summary sheet for the precinct shall be posted at each counting station immediately after completion of the summary sheet.

In counties where punch card ballots are used, one or more counting stations, located at the board of elections, shall be established, at which location all punch card ballots shall be counted.

As used in this division, "punch card ballot" has the same meaning as in section 3506.16 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3506.15.  The secretary of state shall provide each board of elections with rules, instructions, directives, and advisories regarding the examination, testing, and use of the voting machine and tabulating equipment, the assignment of duties of booth officials, the procedure for casting a vote on the machine, and how the vote shall be tallied and reported to the board, and with other rules, instructions, directives, and advisories the secretary of state finds necessary to ensure the adequate care and custody of voting equipment, and the accurate registering, counting, and canvassing of the votes as required by this chapter. The boards of elections shall be charged with the responsibility of providing for the adequate instruction of voters and election officials in the proper use of the voting machine and marking devices. The boards' instructions shall include, in counties where punch card ballots are used, instructions that each voter shall examine the voter's marked ballot card and remove any chads that remain partially attached to it before returning it to election officials.

The secretary of state's rules, instructions, directives, and advisories provided under this section shall comply, insofar as practicable, with this chapter. The provisions of Title XXXV of the Revised Code, not inconsistent with the provisions relating to voting machines, apply in any county using a voting machine.

As used in this section, "chad" and "punch card ballot" have the same meanings as in section 3506.16 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3509.01. (A) The board of elections of each county shall provide absent voter's ballots for use at every primary and general election, or special election to be held on the day specified by division (E) of section 3501.01 of the Revised Code for the holding of a primary election, designated by the general assembly for the purpose of submitting constitutional amendments proposed by the general assembly to the voters of the state. Those ballots shall be the same size, shall be printed on the same kind of paper, and shall be in the same form as has been approved for use at the election for which those ballots are to be voted; except that, in counties using marking devices, ballot cards may be used for absent voter's ballots, and those absent voters shall be instructed to record the vote in the manner provided on the ballot cards. In counties where punch card ballots are used, those absent voters shall be instructed to examine their marked ballot cards and to remove any chads that remain partially attached to them before returning them to election officials.

(B) The rotation of names of candidates and questions and issues shall be substantially complied with on absent voter's ballots, within the limitation of time allotted. Those ballots shall be designated as "Absent Voter's Ballots." Except as otherwise provided in division (D) of this section, those ballots shall be printed and ready for use as follows:

(1) For overseas voters and absent uniformed services voters eligible to vote under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, Pub. L. No. 99-410, 100 Stat. 924, 42 U.S.C. 1973ff, et seq., as amended, ballots shall be printed and ready for use on the forty-fifth day before the day of the election.

(2) For all other voters who are applying to vote absent voter's ballots, ballots shall be printed and ready for use on the thirty-fifth day before the day of the election.

(C) Absent voter's ballots provided for use at a general or primary election, or special election to be held on the day specified by division (E) of section 3501.01 of the Revised Code for the holding of a primary election, designated by the general assembly for the purpose of submitting constitutional amendments proposed by the general assembly to the voters of the state, shall include only those questions, issues, and candidacies that have been lawfully ordered submitted to the electors voting at that election.

(D) If the laws governing the holding of a special election on a day other than the day on which a primary or general election is held make it impossible for absent voter's ballots to be printed and ready for use by the deadlines established in division (B) of this section, absent voter's ballots for those special elections shall be ready for use as many days before the day of the election as reasonably possible under the laws governing the holding of that special election.

(E) A copy of the absent voter's ballots shall be forwarded by the director of the board in each county to the secretary of state at least twenty-five days before the election.

(F) As used in this section, "chad" and "punch card ballot" have the same meanings as in section 3506.16 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3509.06.  (A) The board of elections shall determine whether absent voter's ballots shall be counted in each precinct, at the office of the board, or at some other location designated by the board, and shall proceed accordingly under division (B) or (C) of this section.

(B) When the board of elections determines that absent voter's ballots shall be counted in each precinct, the director shall deliver to the presiding judge voting location manager of each precinct on election day identification envelopes purporting to contain absent voter's ballots of electors whose voting residence appears from the statement of voter on the outside of each of those envelopes, to be located in such presiding judge's that manager's precinct, and which were received by the director not later than the close of the polls on election day. The director shall deliver to such presiding judge the voting location manager a list containing the name and voting residence of each person whose voting residence is in such precinct to whom absent voter's ballots were mailed.

(C) When the board of elections determines that absent voter's ballots shall be counted at the office of the board of elections or at another location designated by the board, special election judges officials shall be appointed by the board for that purpose having the same authority as is exercised by precinct judges election officials. The votes so cast shall be added to the vote totals by the board, and the absent voter's ballots shall be preserved separately by the board, in the same manner and for the same length of time as provided by section 3505.31 of the Revised Code.

(D) Each of the identification envelopes purporting to contain absent voter's ballots delivered to the presiding judge voting location manager of the precinct or the special judge election official appointed by the board of elections shall be handled as follows: The election officials shall compare the signature of the elector on the outside of the identification envelope with the signature of that elector on the elector's registration form and verify that the absent voter's ballot is eligible to be counted under section 3509.07 of the Revised Code. Any of the precinct officials may challenge the right of the elector named on the identification envelope to vote the absent voter's ballots upon the ground that the signature on the envelope is not the same as the signature on the registration form, or upon any other of the grounds upon which the right of persons to vote may be lawfully challenged. If no such challenge is made, or if such a challenge is made and not sustained, the presiding judge voting location manager shall open the envelope without defacing the statement of voter and without mutilating the ballots in it, and shall remove the ballots contained in it and proceed to count them.

The name of each person voting who is entitled to vote only an absent voter's presidential ballot shall be entered in a pollbook or poll list or signature pollbook followed by the words "Absentee Presidential Ballot." The name of each person voting an absent voter's ballot, other than such persons entitled to vote only a presidential ballot, shall be entered in the pollbook or poll list or signature pollbook and the person's registration card marked to indicate that the person has voted.

The date of such election shall also be entered on the elector's registration form. If any such challenge is made and sustained, the identification envelope of such elector shall not be opened, shall be endorsed "Not Counted" with the reasons the ballots were not counted, and shall be delivered to the board.

(E) Special election judges officials, employees or members of the board of elections, or observers shall not disclose the count or any portion of the count of absent voter's ballots prior to the time of the closing of the polling places. No person shall recklessly disclose the count or any portion of the count of absent voter's ballots in such a manner as to jeopardize the secrecy of any individual ballot.

(F) Observers may be appointed under section 3505.21 of the Revised Code to witness the examination and opening of identification envelopes and the counting of absent voters' ballots under this section.

Sec. 3513.131.  In the event two or more persons with identical surnames run for the same office in a primary election on the same ballot, the names of the candidates shall be differentiated on the ballot by varying combinations of first and middle names and initials. Within twenty-four hours after the final date for filing declarations of candidacy or petitions for candidacy, the director of the board of elections for local, municipal, county, general, or special elections, or the director of the board of elections of the most populous county for district, general, or special elections, or the secretary of state for state-wide general and special elections shall notify the persons with identical given names and surnames that the names of such persons will be differentiated on the ballot. If one of the candidates is an incumbent who is a candidate to succeed himself self for the office he the incumbent occupies, he the incumbent shall have first choice of the name by which he the incumbent is designated on the ballot. If an incumbent does not make a choice within two days after notification or if none of the candidates is an incumbent, the board of elections within three days after notification shall designate the names by which the candidates are identified on the ballot. In case of a district candidate the board of elections in the most populous county shall make the determination. In case of state-wide candidates, or in the case any board of elections fails to make a designation within three days after notification, the secretary of state shall immediately make the determination.

"Notification" as required by this section shall be by the director of the board of elections or secretary of state by special delivery or telegram certified mail at the candidate's address listed in his the candidate's declaration or petition of candidacy.

Sec. 3513.18.  Party primaries shall be held at the same place and time, but there shall be separate pollbooks, and tally sheets, and ballot boxes provided at each polling place for each party participating in the election, and the ballot of each voter shall be placed in the ballot box of the party with which he is affiliated. Each ballot box shall be plainly marked with the name of the political party whose ballots are to be placed therein, by letters pasted or printed thereon or by a card attached thereto, or both, and so placed that the designation may be easily seen and read by the voter.

If a special election on a question or issue is held on the day of a primary election, there shall be provided in the pollbooks pages on which shall be recorded the names of all electors voting on said question or issue and not voting in such primary. It shall not be necessary for electors desiring to vote only on the question or issue to declare their political affiliation.

Sec. 3513.19.  (A) It is the duty of any judge of elections precinct election official, whenever any judge of elections such official doubts that a person attempting to vote at a primary election is legally entitled to vote at that election, to challenge the right of that person to vote. The right of a person to vote at a primary election may be challenged upon the following grounds:

(1) That the person whose right to vote is challenged is not a legally qualified elector;

(2) That the person has received or has been promised some valuable reward or consideration for the person's vote;

(3) That the person is not affiliated with or is not a member of the political party whose ballot the person desires to vote. Such party affiliation shall be determined by examining the elector's voting record for the current year and the immediately preceding two calendar years as shown on the voter's registration card, using the standards of affiliation specified in the seventh paragraph of section 3513.05 of the Revised Code. Division (A)(3) of this section and the seventh paragraph of section 3513.05 of the Revised Code do not prohibit a person who holds an elective office for which candidates are nominated at a party primary election from doing any of the following:

(a) If the person voted as a member of a different political party at any primary election within the current year and the immediately preceding two calendar years, being a candidate for nomination at a party primary held during the times specified in division (C)(2) of section 3513.191 of the Revised Code provided that the person complies with the requirements of that section;

(b) Circulating the person's own petition of candidacy for party nomination in the primary election.

(B) When the right of a person to vote is challenged upon the ground set forth in division (A)(3) of this section, membership in or political affiliation with a political party shall be determined by the person's statement, made under penalty of election falsification, that the person desires to be affiliated with and supports the principles of the political party whose primary ballot the person desires to vote.

Sec. 3513.21.  At the close of the polls in a primary election, the judges of precinct election officials shall proceed without delay to canvass the vote, sign and seal it, and make returns thereof to the board of elections forthwith on the forms to be provided by the board. The provisions of Title XXXV of the Revised Code relating to the accounting for and return of all ballots at general elections apply to primary ballots.

If there is any disagreement as to how a ballot should be counted it shall be submitted to all of the judges precinct election officials. If three of the judges precinct election officials do not agree as to how any part of the ballot shall be counted, that part of such ballot which three of the judges officials do agree shall be counted and a notation made upon the ballot indicating what part has not been counted, and shall be placed in an envelope provided for that purpose, marked "Disputed Ballots" and returned to the board.

The board shall, on the day when the vote is canvassed, open such sealed envelopes, determine what ballots and for whom they should be counted, and proceed to count and tally the votes on such ballots.

Sec. 3515.04.  At the time and place fixed for making a recount, the board of elections, in the presence of all observers who may be in attendance, shall open the sealed containers containing the ballots to be recounted, and shall recount them. If a county used punch card ballots and if a chad is attached to a punch card ballot by three or four corners, the voter shall be deemed by the board not to have recorded a candidate, question, or issue choice at the particular position on the ballot, and a vote shall not be counted at that particular position on the ballot in the recount. Ballots shall be handled only by the members of the board or by the director or other employees of the board. Observers shall be permitted to see the ballots, but they shall not be permitted to touch them, and the board shall not permit the counting or tabulation of votes shown on the ballots for any nomination, or for election to any office or position, or upon any question or issue, other than the votes shown on such ballots for the nomination, election, question, or issue concerning which a recount of ballots was applied for.

At any time before the ballots from all of the precincts listed in an application for the recount or involved in a recount pursuant to section 3515.011 of the Revised Code have been recounted, the applicant or declared losing candidate or nominee or each of the declared losing candidates or nominees entitled to file a request prior to the commencement of a recount, as provided in section 3515.03 of the Revised Code, may file with the board a written request to stop the recount and not recount the ballots from the precincts so listed that have not been recounted prior to the time of the request. If, upon the request, the board finds that results of the votes in the precincts recounted, if substituted for the results of the votes in those precincts as shown in the abstract of the votes in those precincts, would not cause the applicant, if a person for whom votes were cast for nomination or election, to be declared nominated or elected or if an election upon a question or issue would not cause a result contrary to the result as declared prior to such recount, it shall grant the request and shall not recount the ballots of the precincts listed in the application for recount that have not been recounted prior to that time. If the board finds otherwise, it shall deny the request and shall continue to recount ballots until the ballots from all of the precincts listed in the application for recount have been recounted; provided that, if the request is denied, it may be renewed from time to time. Upon any such renewal, the board shall consider and act upon the request in the same manner as provided in this section in connection with an original request.

As used in this section, "chad" and "punch card ballot" have the same meanings as in section 3506.16 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3517.106.  (A) As used in this section:

(1) "Statewide office" means any of the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, chief justice of the supreme court, and justice of the supreme court.

(2) "Addendum to a statement" includes an amendment or other correction to that statement.

(B)(1) The secretary of state shall store on computer the information contained in statements of contributions and expenditures and monthly statements required to be filed under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code and in statements of independent expenditures required to be filed under section 3517.105 of the Revised Code by any of the following:

(a) The campaign committees of candidates for statewide office;

(b) The political action committees and political contributing entities described in division (A)(1) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code;

(c) Legislative campaign funds;

(d) State political parties;

(e) Individuals, partnerships, corporations, labor organizations, or other entities that make independent expenditures in support of or opposition to a statewide candidate or a statewide ballot issue or question;

(f) The campaign committees of candidates for the office of member of the general assembly;

(g) County political parties, with respect to their state candidate funds.

(2) The secretary of state shall store on computer the information contained in disclosure of electioneering communications statements required to be filed under section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code.

(3) The secretary of state shall store on computer the information contained in deposit and disbursement statements required to be filed with the office of the secretary of state under section 3517.1012 of the Revised Code.

(4) The secretary of state shall store on computer the gift and disbursement information contained in statements required to be filed with the office of the secretary of state under section 3517.1013 of the Revised Code.

(5) The secretary of state shall store on computer the information contained in donation and disbursement statements required to be filed with the office of the secretary of state under section 3517.1014 of the Revised Code.

(C)(1) The secretary of state shall make available to the campaign committees, political action committees, political contributing entities, legislative campaign funds, political parties, individuals, partnerships, corporations, labor organizations, treasurers of transition funds, and other entities described in division (B) of this section, and to members of the news media and other interested persons, for a reasonable fee, computer programs that are compatible with the secretary of state's method of storing the information contained in the statements.

(2) The secretary of state shall make the information required to be stored under division (B) of this section available on computer at the secretary of state's office so that, to the maximum extent feasible, individuals may obtain at the secretary of state's office any part or all of that information for any given year, subject to the limitation expressed in division (D) of this section.

(D) The secretary of state shall keep the information stored on computer under division (B) of this section for at least six years.

(E)(1) Subject to division (L) of this section and subject to the secretary of state having implemented, tested, and verified the successful operation of any system the secretary of state prescribes pursuant to division (H)(1) of this section and divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission, the campaign committee of each candidate for statewide office may file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code by electronic means of transmission or, if the total amount of the contributions received or the total amount of the expenditures made by the campaign committee for the applicable reporting period as specified in division (A) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code exceeds ten thousand dollars, shall file those statements by electronic means of transmission.

Except as otherwise provided in this division, within five business days after a statement filed by a campaign committee of a candidate for statewide office is received by the secretary of state by electronic or other means of transmission, the secretary of state shall make available online to the public through the internet, as provided in division (I) of this section, the contribution and expenditure information in that statement. The secretary of state shall not make available online to the public through the internet any contribution or expenditure information contained in a statement for any candidate until the secretary of state is able to make available online to the public through the internet the contribution and expenditure information for all candidates for a particular office, or until the applicable filing deadline for that statement has passed, whichever is sooner. As soon as the secretary of state has available all of the contribution and expenditure information for all candidates for a particular office, or as soon as the applicable filing deadline for a statement has passed, whichever is sooner, the secretary of state shall simultaneously make available online to the public through the internet the information for all candidates for that office.

If a statement filed by electronic means of transmission is found to be incomplete or inaccurate after the examination of the statement for completeness and accuracy pursuant to division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the campaign committee shall file by electronic means of transmission any addendum to the statement that provides the information necessary to complete or correct the statement or, if required by the secretary of state under that division, an amended statement.

Within five business days after the secretary of state receives from a campaign committee of a candidate for statewide office an addendum to the statement or an amended statement by electronic or other means of transmission under this division or division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the secretary of state shall make the contribution and expenditure information in the addendum or amended statement available online to the public through the internet as provided in division (I) of this section.

(2) Subject to the secretary of state having implemented, tested, and verified the successful operation of any system the secretary of state prescribes pursuant to division (H)(1) of this section and divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission, a political action committee and a political contributing entity described in division (B)(1)(b) of this section, a legislative campaign fund, and a state political party may file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code by electronic means of transmission or, if the total amount of the contributions received or the total amount of the expenditures made by the political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or state political party for the applicable reporting period as specified in division (A) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code exceeds ten thousand dollars, shall file those statements by electronic means of transmission.

Within five business days after a statement filed by a political action committee or a political contributing entity described in division (B)(1)(b) of this section, a legislative campaign fund, or a state political party is received by the secretary of state by electronic or other means of transmission, the secretary of state shall make available online to the public through the internet, as provided in division (I) of this section, the contribution and expenditure information in that statement.

If a statement filed by electronic means of transmission is found to be incomplete or inaccurate after the examination of the statement for completeness and accuracy pursuant to division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or state political party shall file by electronic means of transmission any addendum to the statement that provides the information necessary to complete or correct the statement or, if required by the secretary of state under that division, an amended statement.

Within five business days after the secretary of state receives from a political action committee or a political contributing entity described in division (B)(1)(b) of this section, a legislative campaign fund, or a state political party an addendum to the statement or an amended statement by electronic or other means of transmission under this division or division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the secretary of state shall make the contribution and expenditure information in the addendum or amended statement available online to the public through the internet as provided in division (I) of this section.

(3) Subject to the secretary of state having implemented, tested, and verified the successful operation of any system the secretary of state prescribes pursuant to division (H)(1) of this section and divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission, a county political party shall file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code with respect to its state candidate fund by electronic means of transmission to the office of the secretary of state.

Within five business days after a statement filed by a county political party with respect to its state candidate fund is received by the secretary of state by electronic means of transmission, the secretary of state shall make available online to the public through the internet, as provided in division (I) of this section, the contribution and expenditure information in that statement.

If a statement is found to be incomplete or inaccurate after the examination of the statement for completeness and accuracy pursuant to division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, a county political party shall file by electronic means of transmission any addendum to the statement that provides the information necessary to complete or correct the statement or, if required by the secretary of state under that division, an amended statement.

Within five business days after the secretary of state receives from a county political party an addendum to the statement or an amended statement by electronic means of transmission under this division or division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the secretary of state shall make the contribution and expenditure information in the addendum or amended statement available online to the public through the internet as provided in division (I) of this section.

(F)(1) Subject to division (L) of this section and subject to the secretary of state having implemented, tested, and verified the successful operation of any system the secretary of state prescribes pursuant to division (H)(1) of this section and divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission, a campaign committee of a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly or a campaign committee of a candidate for the office of judge of a court of appeals may file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code in accordance with division (A)(2) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code or by electronic means of transmission to the office of the secretary of state or, if the total amount of the contributions received by the campaign committee for the applicable reporting period as specified in division (A) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code exceeds ten thousand dollars, shall file those statements by electronic means of transmission to the office of the secretary of state.

Except as otherwise provided in this division, within five business days after a statement filed by a campaign committee of a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly or a campaign committee of a candidate for the office of judge of a court of appeals is received by the secretary of state by electronic or other means of transmission, the secretary of state shall make available online to the public through the internet, as provided in division (I) of this section, the contribution and expenditure information in that statement. The secretary of state shall not make available online to the public through the internet any contribution or expenditure information contained in a statement for any candidate until the secretary of state is able to make available online to the public through the internet the contribution and expenditure information for all candidates for a particular office, or until the applicable filing deadline for that statement has passed, whichever is sooner. As soon as the secretary of state has available all of the contribution and expenditure information for all candidates for a particular office, or as soon as the applicable filing deadline for a statement has passed, whichever is sooner, the secretary of state shall simultaneously make available online to the public through the internet the information for all candidates for that office.

If a statement filed by electronic means of transmission is found to be incomplete or inaccurate after the examination of the statement for completeness and accuracy pursuant to division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the campaign committee shall file by electronic means of transmission to the office of the secretary of state any addendum to the statement that provides the information necessary to complete or correct the statement or, if required by the secretary of state under that division, an amended statement.

Within five business days after the secretary of state receives from a campaign committee of a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly or a campaign committee of a candidate for the office of judge of a court of appeals an addendum to the statement or an amended statement by electronic or other means of transmission under this division or division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the secretary of state shall make the contribution and expenditure information in the addendum or amended statement available online to the public through the internet as provided in division (I) of this section.

(2) If a statement, addendum, or amended statement is not filed by electronic means of transmission to the office of the secretary of state but is filed by printed version only under division (A)(2) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code with the appropriate board of elections, the campaign committee of a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly or a campaign committee of a candidate for the office of judge of a court of appeals shall file two copies of the printed version of the statement, addendum, or amended statement with the board of elections. The board of elections shall send one of those copies by certified mail or an electronic copy to the secretary of state before the close of business on the day the board of elections receives the statement, addendum, or amended statement.

(G) Subject to the secretary of state having implemented, tested, and verified the successful operation of any system the secretary of state prescribes pursuant to division (H)(1) of this section and divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission, any individual, partnership, or other entity that makes independent expenditures in support of or opposition to a statewide candidate or a statewide ballot issue or question as provided in division (B)(2)(b) or (C)(2)(b) of section 3517.105 of the Revised Code may file the statement specified in that division by electronic means of transmission or, if the total amount of independent expenditures made during the reporting period under that division exceeds ten thousand dollars, shall file the statement specified in that division by electronic means of transmission.

Within five business days after a statement filed by an individual, partnership, or other entity is received by the secretary of state by electronic or other means of transmission, the secretary of state shall make available online to the public through the internet, as provided in division (I) of this section, the expenditure information in that statement.

If a statement filed by electronic means of transmission is found to be incomplete or inaccurate after the examination of the statement for completeness and accuracy pursuant to division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the individual, partnership, or other entity shall file by electronic means of transmission any addendum to the statement that provides the information necessary to complete or correct the statement or, if required by the secretary of state under that division, an amended statement.

Within five business days after the secretary of state receives from an individual, partnership, or other entity described in division (B)(2)(b) or (C)(2)(b) of section 3517.105 of the Revised Code an addendum to the statement or an amended statement by electronic or other means of transmission under this division or division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the secretary of state shall make the expenditure information in the addendum or amended statement available online to the public through the internet as provided in division (I) of this section.

(H)(1) The secretary of state, by rule adopted pursuant to section 3517.23 of the Revised Code, shall prescribe one or more techniques by which a person who executes and transmits by electronic means a statement of contributions and expenditures, a statement of independent expenditures, a disclosure of electioneering communications statement, a deposit and disbursement statement, a gift and disbursement statement, or a donation and disbursement statement, an addendum to any of those statements, an amended statement of contributions and expenditures, an amended statement of independent expenditures, an amended disclosure of electioneering communications statement, an amended deposit and disbursement statement, an amended gift and disbursement statement, or an amended donation and disbursement statement, under this section or section 3517.10, 3517.105, 3517.1011, 3517.1012, 3517.1013, or 3517.1014 of the Revised Code shall electronically sign the statement, addendum, or amended statement. Any technique prescribed by the secretary of state pursuant to this division shall create an electronic signature that satisfies all of the following:

(a) It is unique to the signer.

(b) It objectively identifies the signer.

(c) It involves the use of a signature device or other means or method that is under the sole control of the signer and that cannot be readily duplicated or compromised.

(d) It is created and linked to the electronic record to which it relates in a manner that, if the record or signature is intentionally or unintentionally changed after signing, the electronic signature is invalidated.

(2) An electronic signature prescribed by the secretary of state under division (H)(1) of this section shall be attached to or associated with the statement of contributions and expenditures, the statement of independent expenditures, the disclosure of electioneering communications statement, the deposit and disbursement statement, the gift and disbursement statement, or the donation and disbursement statement, the addendum to any of those statements, the amended statement of contributions and expenditures, the amended statement of independent expenditures, the amended disclosure of electioneering communications statement, the amended deposit and disbursement statement, the amended gift and disbursement statement, or the amended donation and disbursement statement that is executed and transmitted by electronic means by the person to whom the electronic signature is attributed. The electronic signature that is attached to or associated with the statement, addendum, or amended statement under this division shall be binding on all persons and for all purposes under the campaign finance reporting law as if the signature had been handwritten in ink on a printed form.

(I) The secretary of state shall make the contribution and expenditure, the contribution and disbursement, the deposit and disbursement, the gift and disbursement, or the donation and disbursement information in all statements, all addenda to the statements, and all amended statements that are filed with the secretary of state by electronic or other means of transmission under this section or section 3517.10, 3517.105, 3517.1011, 3517.1012, 3517.1013, 3517.1014, or 3517.11 of the Revised Code available online to the public by any means that are searchable, viewable, and accessible through the internet.

(J)(1) As used in this division, "library" means a library that is open to the public and that is one of the following:

(a) A library that is maintained and regulated under section 715.13 of the Revised Code;

(b) A library that is created, maintained, and regulated under Chapter 3375. of the Revised Code.

(2) The secretary of state shall notify all libraries of the location on the internet at which the contribution and expenditure, contribution and disbursement, deposit and disbursement, gift and disbursement, or donation and disbursement information in campaign finance statements required to be made available online to the public through the internet pursuant to division (I) of this section may be accessed.

If that location is part of the world wide web and if the secretary of state has notified a library of that world wide web location as required by this division, the library shall include a link to that world wide web location on each internet-connected computer it maintains that is accessible to the public.

(3) If the system the secretary of state prescribes for the filing of campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission pursuant to division (H)(1) of this section and divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code includes filing those statements through the internet via the world wide web, the secretary of state shall notify all libraries of the world wide web location at which those statements may be filed.

If those statements may be filed through the internet via the world wide web and if the secretary of state has notified a library of that world wide web location as required by this division, the library shall include a link to that world wide web location on each internet-connected computer it maintains that is accessible to the public.

(K) It is an affirmative defense to a complaint or charge brought against any campaign committee, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or political party, any individual, partnership, or other entity, any person making disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications, or any treasurer of a transition fund, for the failure to file by electronic means of transmission a campaign finance statement as required by this section or section 3517.10, 3517.105, 3517.1011, 3517.1012, 3517.1013, or 3517.1014 of the Revised Code that all of the following apply to the campaign committee, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or political party, the individual, partnership, or other entity, the person making disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications, or the treasurer of a transition fund that failed to so file:

(1) The campaign committee, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or political party, the individual, partnership, or other entity, the person making disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications, or the treasurer of a transition fund attempted to file by electronic means of transmission the required statement prior to the deadline set forth in the applicable section.

(2) The campaign committee, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or political party, the individual, partnership, or other entity, the person making disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications, or the treasurer of a transition fund was unable to file by electronic means of transmission due to an expected or unexpected shutdown of the whole or part of the electronic campaign finance statement-filing system, such as for maintenance or because of hardware, software, or network connection failure.

(3) The campaign committee, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or political party, the individual, partnership, or other entity, the person making disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications, or the treasurer of a transition fund filed by electronic means of transmission the required statement within a reasonable period of time after being unable to so file it under the circumstance described in division (K)(2) of this section.

(L)(1) The secretary of state shall adopt rules pursuant to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code to permit a campaign committee of a candidate for statewide office that makes expenditures of less than twenty-five thousand dollars during the filing period or a campaign committee for the office of member of the general assembly or the office of judge of a court of appeals that would otherwise be required to file campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission under division (E) or (F) of this section to file those statements by paper with the office of the secretary of state. Those rules shall provide for all of the following:

(a) An eligible campaign committee that wishes to file a campaign finance statement by paper instead of by electronic means of transmission shall file the statement on paper with the office of the secretary of state not sooner than twenty-four hours after the end of the filing period set forth in section 3517.10 of the Revised Code that is covered by the applicable statement.

(b) The statement shall be accompanied by a fee, the amount of which the secretary of state shall determine by rule. The amount of the fee established under this division shall not exceed the data entry and data verification costs the secretary of state will incur to convert the information on the statement to an electronic format as required under division (I) of this section.

(c) The secretary of state shall arrange for the information in campaign finance statements filed pursuant to division (L) of this section to be made available online to the public through the internet in the same manner, and at the same times, as information is made available under divisions (E), (F), and (I) of this section for candidates whose campaign committees file those statements by electronic means of transmission.

(d) The candidate of an eligible campaign committee that intends to file a campaign finance statement pursuant to division (L) of this section shall file a notice indicating that the candidate's campaign committee intends to so file and stating that filing the statement by electronic means of transmission would constitute a hardship for the candidate or for the eligible campaign committee.

(e) An eligible campaign committee that files a campaign finance statement on paper pursuant to division (L) of this section shall review the contribution and information made available online by the secretary of state with respect to that paper filing and shall notify the secretary of state of any errors with respect to that filing that appear in the data made available on that web site.

(f) If an eligible campaign committee whose candidate has filed a notice in accordance with rules adopted under division (L)(1)(d) of this section subsequently fails to file that statement on paper by the applicable deadline established in rules adopted under division (L)(1)(a) of this section, penalties for the late filing of the campaign finance statement shall apply to that campaign committee for each day after that paper filing deadline, as if the campaign committee had filed the statement after the applicable deadline set forth in division (A) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(2) The process for permitting campaign committees that would otherwise be required to file campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission to file those statements on paper with the office of the secretary of state that is required to be developed under division (L)(1) of this section shall be in effect and available for use by eligible campaign committees for all campaign finance statements that are required to be filed on or after June 30, 2005. Notwithstanding any provision of the Revised Code to the contrary, if the process the secretary of state is required to develop under division (L)(1) of this section is not in effect and available for use on and after June 30, 2005, all penalties for the failure of campaign committees to file campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission shall be suspended until such time as that process is in effect and available for use.

(3) Notwithstanding any provision of the Revised Code to the contrary, any eligible campaign committee that files campaign finance statements on paper with the office of the secretary of state pursuant to division (L)(1) of this section shall be deemed to have filed those campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission to the office of the secretary of state.

Sec. 3517.11.  (A)(1) Campaign committees of candidates for statewide office or the state board of education, political action committees or political contributing entities that make contributions to campaign committees of candidates that are required to file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code with the secretary of state, political action committees or political contributing entities that make contributions to campaign committees of candidates for member of the general assembly, political action committees or political contributing entities that make contributions to state and national political parties and to legislative campaign funds, political action committees or political contributing entities that receive contributions or make expenditures in connection with a statewide ballot issue, political action committees or political contributing entities that make contributions to other political action committees or political contributing entities, political parties, and campaign committees, except as set forth in division (A)(3) of this section, legislative campaign funds, and state and national political parties shall file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code with the secretary of state.

(2)(a) Except as otherwise provided in division (F) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code, campaign committees of candidates for all other offices shall file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code with the board of elections where their candidates are required to file their petitions or other papers for nomination or election.

(b) A campaign committee of a candidate for office of member of the general assembly or a campaign committee of a candidate for the office of judge of a court of appeals shall file two copies of the printed version of any statement, addendum, or amended statement if the committee does not file pursuant to division (F)(1) or (L) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code but files by printed version only with the appropriate board of elections. The board of elections shall send one of those copies by certified mail or an electronic copy to the secretary of state before the close of business on the day the board of elections receives the statement, addendum, or amended statement.

(3) Political action committees or political contributing entities that only contribute to a county political party, contribute to campaign committees of candidates whose nomination or election is to be submitted only to electors within a county, subdivision, or district, excluding candidates for member of the general assembly, and receive contributions or make expenditures in connection with ballot questions or issues to be submitted only to electors within a county, subdivision, or district shall file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code with the board of elections in that county or in the county contained in whole or part within the subdivision or district having a population greater than that of any other county contained in whole or part within that subdivision or district, as the case may be.

(4) Except as otherwise provided in division (E)(3) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code with respect to state candidate funds, county political parties shall file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code with the board of elections of their respective counties.

(B)(1) The official with whom petitions and other papers for nomination or election to public office are filed shall furnish each candidate at the time of that filing a copy of sections 3517.01, 3517.08 to 3517.11, 3517.13 to 3517.993, 3599.03, and 3599.031 of the Revised Code and any other materials that the secretary of state may require. Each candidate receiving the materials shall acknowledge their receipt in writing.

(2) On or before the tenth day before the dates on which statements are required to be filed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code, every candidate subject to the provisions of this section and sections 3517.10 and 3517.106 of the Revised Code shall be notified of the requirements and applicable penalties of those sections. The secretary of state, by certified mail, return receipt requested, shall notify all candidates required to file those statements with the secretary of state's office. The board of elections of every county shall notify by first class mail any candidate who has personally appeared at the office of the board on or before the tenth day before the statements are required to be filed and signed a form, to be provided by the secretary of state, attesting that the candidate has been notified of the candidate's obligations under the campaign finance law. The board shall forward the completed form to the secretary of state. The board shall use certified mail, return receipt requested, to notify all other candidates required to file those statements with it.

(3)(a) Any statement required to be filed under sections 3517.081 to 3517.17 of the Revised Code that is found to be incomplete or inaccurate by the officer to whom it is submitted shall be accepted on a conditional basis, and the person who filed it shall be notified by certified mail as to the incomplete or inaccurate nature of the statement. The secretary of state may examine statements filed for candidates for the office of member of the general assembly and candidates for the office of judge of a court of appeals for completeness and accuracy. The secretary of state shall examine for completeness and accuracy statements that campaign committees of candidates for the office of member of the general assembly and campaign committees of candidates for the office of judge of a court of appeals file pursuant to division (F) or (L) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code. If an officer at the board of elections where a statement filed for a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly or for a candidate for the office of judge of a court of appeals was submitted finds the statement to be incomplete or inaccurate, the officer shall immediately notify the secretary of state of its incomplete or inaccurate nature. If either an officer at the board of elections or the secretary of state finds a statement filed for a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly or for a candidate for the office of judge of a court of appeals to be incomplete or inaccurate, only the secretary of state shall send the notification as to the incomplete or inaccurate nature of the statement.

Within twenty-one days after receipt of the notice, in the case of a pre-election statement, a postelection statement, a monthly statement, an annual statement, or a semiannual statement prescribed by section 3517.10, an annual statement prescribed by section 3517.101, or a statement prescribed by division (B)(2)(b) or (C)(2)(b) of section 3517.105 or section 3517.107 of the Revised Code, the recipient shall file an addendum, amendment, or other correction to the statement providing the information necessary to complete or correct the statement. The secretary of state may require that, in lieu of filing an addendum, amendment, or other correction to a statement that is filed by electronic means of transmission to the office of the secretary of state pursuant to section 3517.106 of the Revised Code, the recipient of the notice described in this division file by electronic means of transmission an amended statement that incorporates the information necessary to complete or correct the statement.

The secretary of state shall determine by rule when an addendum, amendment, or other correction to any of the following or when an amended statement of any of the following shall be filed:

(i) A two-business-day statement prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code;

(ii) A disclosure of electioneering communications statement prescribed by division (D) of section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code;

(iii) A deposit and disbursement statement prescribed under division (B) of section 3517.1012 of the Revised Code;

(iv) A gift and disbursement statement prescribed under section 3517.1013 of the Revised Code;

(v) A donation and disbursement statement prescribed under section 3517.1014 of the Revised Code.

An addendum, amendment, or other correction to a statement that is filed by electronic means of transmission pursuant to section 3517.106 of the Revised Code shall be filed in the same manner as the statement.

The provisions of sections 3517.10, 3517.106, 3517.1011, 3517.1012, 3517.1013, and 3517.1014 of the Revised Code pertaining to the filing of statements of contributions and expenditures, statements of independent expenditures, disclosure of electioneering communications statements, deposit and disbursement statements, gift and disbursement statements, and donation and disbursement statements by electronic means of transmission apply to the filing of addenda, amendments, or other corrections to those statements by electronic means of transmission and the filing of amended statements by electronic means of transmission.

(b) Within five business days after the secretary of state receives, by electronic or other means of transmission, an addendum, amendment, or other correction to a statement or an amended statement under division (B)(3)(a) of this section, the secretary of state, pursuant to divisions (E), (F), (G), and (I) of section 3517.106 or division (D) of section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code, shall make the contribution and expenditure, contribution and disbursement, deposit and disbursement, gift and disbursement, or donation and disbursement information in that addendum, amendment, correction, or amended statement available online to the public through the internet.

(4)(a) The secretary of state or the board of elections shall examine all statements for compliance with sections 3517.08 to 3517.17 of the Revised Code.

(b) The secretary of state may contract with an individual or entity not associated with the secretary of state and experienced in interpreting the campaign finance law of this state to conduct examinations of statements filed by any statewide candidate, as defined in section 3517.103 of the Revised Code.

(c) The examination shall be conducted by a person or entity qualified to conduct it. The results of the examination shall be available to the public, and, when the examination is conducted by an individual or entity not associated with the secretary of state, the results of the examination shall be reported to the secretary of state.

(C)(1) In the event of a failure to file or a late filing of a statement required to be filed under sections 3517.081 to 3517.17 of the Revised Code, or if a filed statement or any addendum, amendment, or other correction to a statement or any amended statement, if an addendum, amendment, or other correction or an amended statement is required to be filed, is incomplete or inaccurate or appears to disclose a failure to comply with or a violation of law, the official whose duty it is to examine the statement shall promptly file a complaint with the Ohio elections commission under section 3517.153 of the Revised Code if the law is one over which the commission has jurisdiction to hear complaints, or the official shall promptly report the failure or violation to the board of elections and the board shall promptly report it to the prosecuting attorney in accordance with division (J) of section 3501.11 of the Revised Code. If the official files a complaint with the commission, the commission shall proceed in accordance with sections 3517.154 to 3517.157 of the Revised Code.

(2) For purposes of division (C)(1) of this section, a statement or an addendum, amendment, or other correction to a statement or an amended statement required to be filed under sections 3517.081 to 3517.17 of the Revised Code is incomplete or inaccurate under this section if the statement, addendum, amendment, other correction, or amended statement fails to disclose substantially all contributions, gifts, or donations that are received or deposits that are made that are required to be reported under sections 3517.10, 3517.107, 3517.108, 3517.1011, 3517.1012, 3517.1013, and 3517.1014 of the Revised Code or if the statement, addendum, amendment, other correction, or amended statement fails to disclose at least ninety per cent of the total contributions, gifts, or donations received or deposits made or of the total expenditures or disbursements made during the reporting period.

(D) No certificate of nomination or election shall be issued to a person, and no person elected to an office shall enter upon the performance of the duties of that office, until that person or that person's campaign committee, as appropriate, has fully complied with this section and sections 3517.08, 3517.081, 3517.10, and 3517.13 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3599.07.  No judge of elections precinct election official, observer, or police officer admitted into the polling rooms at the election, at any time while the polls are open, shall have in the individual's possession, distribute, or give out any ballot or ticket to any person on any pretense during the receiving, counting, or certifying of the votes, or have any ballot or ticket in the individual's possession or control, except in the proper discharge of the individual's official duty in receiving, counting, or canvassing the votes. This section does not prevent the lawful exercise by a judge of elections precinct election official or observer of the individual right to vote at such election.

Sec. 3599.17.  (A) No elections official serving as a registrar or judge of elections precinct election official shall do any of the following:

(1) Fail to appear before the board of elections, or its representative, after notice has been served personally upon the official or left at the official's usual place of residence, for examination as to the official's qualifications;

(2) Fail to appear at the polling place to which the official is assigned at the hour and during the hours set for the registration or election;

(3) Fail to take the oath prescribed by section 3501.31 of the Revised Code, unless excused by such board;

(4) Refuse or sanction the refusal of another registrar or judge of elections precinct election official to administer an oath required by law;

(5) Fail to send notice to the board of the appointment of a judge precinct election official to fill a vacancy;

(6) Act as registrar or judge precinct election official without having been appointed and having received a certificate of appointment, except a judge precinct election official appointed to fill a vacancy caused by absence or removal;

(7) Fail in any other way to perform any duty imposed by law.

(B) Whoever violates division (A) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.

Sec. 3599.19.  (A) No judge of elections precinct election official shall knowingly do any of the following:

(1) Unlawfully open or permit to be opened the sealed package containing registration lists, ballots, blanks, pollbooks, and other papers and material to be used in an election;

(2) Unlawfully misplace, carry away, negligently lose or permit to be taken from the judge precinct election official, fail to deliver, or destroy any such packages, papers, or material;

(3) Receive or sanction the reception of a ballot from a person not a qualified elector or from a person who refused to answer a question in accordance with the election law;

(4) Refuse to receive or sanction the rejection of a ballot from a person, knowing that person to be a qualified elector;

(5) Permit a fraudulent ballot to be placed in the ballot box;

(6) Place or permit to be placed in any ballot box any ballot known by the judge precinct election official to be improperly or falsely marked;

(7) Count or permit to be counted any illegal or fraudulent ballot;

(8) Mislead an elector who is physically unable to prepare the elector's ballot, mark a ballot for such elector otherwise than as directed by that elector, or disclose to any person, except when legally required to do so, how such elector voted;

(9) Alter or mark or permit any alteration or marking on any ballot when counting the ballots;

(10) Unlawfully count or tally or sanction the wrongful counting or tallying of votes;

(11) After the counting of votes commences, as required by law, postpone or sanction the postponement of the counting of votes, adjourn at any time or to any place, or remove the ballot box from the place of voting, or from the custody or presence of all the judges of such elections precinct election officials;

(12) Permit any ballot to remain or to be in the ballot box at the opening of the polls, or to be put in the box during the counting of the ballots, or to be left in the box without being counted;

(13) Admit or sanction the admission to the polling room at an election during the receiving, counting, and certifying of votes of any person not qualified by law to be so admitted;

(14) Refuse to admit or sanction the refusal to admit any person, upon lawful request for admission, who is legally qualified to be present;

(15) Permit or sanction the counting of the ballots contrary to the manner prescribed by law;

(16) Neglect or unlawfully execute any duty enjoined upon the judge precinct election official by law.

(B) Whoever violates division (A) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.

Sec. 3599.31.  No officer of the law shall fail to obey forthwith an order of the presiding judge voting location manager and aid in enforcing a lawful order of the presiding judges voting location manager at an election, against persons unlawfully congregating or loitering within one hundred feet of a polling place, hindering or delaying an elector from reaching or leaving the polling place, soliciting or attempting, within one hundred feet of the polling place, to influence an elector in casting the elector's vote, or interfering with the registration of voters or casting and counting of the ballots.

Whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.

Section 2.  That existing sections 2101.44, 3501.01, 3501.05, 3501.051, 3501.06, 3501.11, 3501.13, 3501.17, 3501.22, 3501.26, 3501.27, 3501.28, 3501.29, 3501.30, 3501.31, 3501.32, 3501.33, 3501.35, 3501.37, 3503.02, 3503.26, 3505.07, 3505.08, 3505.16, 3505.17, 3505.18, 3505.20, 3505.21, 3505.23, 3505.24, 3505.26, 3505.28, 3505.29, 3505.30, 3505.31, 3506.05, 3506.12, 3506.15, 3509.01, 3509.06, 3513.131, 3513.18, 3513.19, 3513.21, 3515.04, 3517.106, 3517.11, 3599.07, 3599.17, 3599.19, and 3599.31 and section 3506.16 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.