A vacancy in the Senate or in the House of Representatives
for any cause, including the failure of a
member-elect to qualify for office, shall be filled by
election by the members of the Senate or the members
of the House of Representatives, as the case may be,
who are affiliated with the same political party as the
person last elected by the electors to the seat which has
become vacant. A vacan-cy occurring before or during
the first twenty months of a Senatorial term shall
be filled temporarily by election as provided in this
section, for only that portion of the term which will
expire on the thirty-first day of December following
the next general election occurring in an even-numbered
year after the vacancy occurs, at which election
the seat shall be filled by the electors as provided by
law for the remaining, unexpired portion of the term,
the member-elect so chosen to take office on the first
day in January next following such election. No person
shall be elected to fill a vacancy in the Senate or
House of Representatives, as the case may be, unless
he meets the qualifications set forth in this constitution
and the laws of this state for the seat in which the
vacancy occurs. An election to fill a vacancy shall be
accomplished, notwithstanding the provisions of section
27, Article II of this constitution, by the adoption
of a resolution, while the Senate or the House of Representatives,
as the case may be, is in session, with
the taking of the yeas and nays of the members of the
Senate or the House of Representatives, as the case
may be, affiliated with the same political party as the
person last elected to the seat in which the vacancy occurs.
The adoption of such resolution shall require the
affirmative vote of a majority of the members elected
to the Senate or the House of Representatives, as the
case may be, entitled to vote thereon. Such vote shall
be spread upon the journal of the Senate or the House
of Representatives, as the case may be, and certified
to the secretary of state by the clerk thereof. The secretary
of state shall, upon receipt of such certification,
issue a certificate of election to the person so elected
and upon presentation of such certificate to the Senate
or the House of Representatives, as the case may be,
the person so elected shall take the oath of office and
become a member of the Senate or the House of Representatives,
as the case may be, for the term for which
he was so elected.
Structure Ohio constitution