Ohio Revised Code
Chapter 3513 | Primaries; Nominations
Section 3513.01 | Primary Elections.

Effective: October 17, 2019
Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly
(A) Except as otherwise provided in this section and section 3517.012 of the Revised Code, primary elections shall be held as provided in division (E) of section 3501.01 of the Revised Code for the purpose of nominating persons as candidates of political parties for election to offices to be voted for at the succeeding general election.
(B) The manner of nominating persons as candidates for election as officers of a municipal corporation having a population of two thousand or more, as ascertained by the most recent federal census, shall be the same as the manner in which candidates were nominated for election as officers in the municipal corporation in 1989 unless the manner of nominating such candidates is changed under division (C), (D), or (E) of this section.
(C) Primary elections shall not be held for the nomination of candidates for election as officers of any township, or any municipal corporation having a population of less than two thousand, unless a majority of the electors of any such township or municipal corporation, as determined by the total number of votes cast in such township or municipal corporation for the office of governor at the most recent regular state election, files with the board of elections of the county within which such township or municipal corporation is located, or within which the major portion of the population thereof is located, if the municipal corporation is situated in more than one county, not later than one hundred twenty days before the day of a primary election, a petition signed by such electors asking that candidates for election as officers of such township or municipal corporation be nominated as candidates of political parties, in which event primary elections shall be held in such township or municipal corporation for the purpose of nominating persons as candidates of political parties for election as officers of such township or municipal corporation to be voted for at the succeeding regular municipal election. In a township or municipal corporation where a majority of the electors have filed a petition asking that candidates for election as officers of the township or municipal corporation be nominated as candidates of political parties, the nomination of candidates for a nonpartisan election may be reestablished in the manner prescribed in division (E) of this section.
(D)(1) The electors in a municipal corporation having a population of two thousand or more, in which municipal officers were nominated in the most recent election by nominating petition and elected by nonpartisan election, may place on the ballot in the manner prescribed in division (D)(2) of this section the question of changing to the primary-election method of nominating persons as candidates for election as officers of the municipal corporation.
(2) The board of elections of the county within which the municipal corporation is located, or, if the municipal corporation is located in more than one county, of the county within which the major portion of the population of the municipal corporation is located, shall, upon receipt of a petition signed by electors of the municipal corporation equal in number to at least ten per cent of the vote cast at the most recent regular municipal election, submit to the electors of the municipal corporation the question of changing to the primary-election method of nominating persons as candidates for election as officers of the municipal corporation. The ballot language shall be substantially as follows:
"Shall candidates for election as officers of ____________ (name of municipal corporation) in the county of ____________ (name of county) be nominated as candidates of political parties?
________ yes
________ no"
The question shall be placed on the ballot at the next general election in an even-numbered year occurring at least ninety days after the petition is filed with the board. If a majority of the electors voting on the question vote in the affirmative, candidates for election as officers of the municipal corporation shall thereafter be nominated as candidates of political parties in primary elections, under division (A) of this section, unless a change in the manner of nominating persons as candidates for election as officers of the municipal corporation is made under division (E) of this section.
(E)(1) The electors in a township or municipal corporation in which the township or municipal officers are nominated as candidates of political parties in a primary election may place on the ballot, in the manner prescribed in division (E)(2) of this section, the question of changing to the nonpartisan method of nominating persons as candidates for election as officers of the township or municipal corporation.
(2) The board of elections of the county within which the township or municipal corporation is located, or, if the municipal corporation is located in more than one county, of the county within which the major portion of the population of the municipal corporation is located, shall, upon receipt of a petition signed by electors of the township or municipal corporation equal in number to at least ten per cent of the vote cast at the most recent regular township or municipal election, as appropriate, submit to the electors of the township or municipal corporation, as appropriate, the question of changing to the nonpartisan method of nominating persons as candidates for election as officers of the township or municipal corporation. The ballot language shall be substantially as follows:
"Shall candidates for election as officers of ____________ (name of the township or municipal corporation) in the county of ____________ (name of county) be nominated as candidates by nominating petition and be elected only in a nonpartisan election?
________ yes
________ no"
The question shall appear on the ballot at the next general election in an even-numbered year occurring at least ninety days after the petition is filed with the board. If a majority of electors voting on the question vote in the affirmative, candidates for officer of the township or municipal corporation shall thereafter be nominated by nominating petition and be elected only in a nonpartisan election, unless a change in the manner of nominating persons as candidates for election as officers of the township or municipal corporation is made under division (C) or (D) of this section.

Structure Ohio Revised Code

Ohio Revised Code

Title 35 | Elections

Chapter 3513 | Primaries; Nominations

Section 3513.01 | Primary Elections.

Section 3513.02 | Certificate of Nomination When No Primary Necessary.

Section 3513.03 | Election Officials for Primary Elections.

Section 3513.04 | Filing Declaration of Candidacy.

Section 3513.041 | Write-in Votes.

Section 3513.05 | Deadline for Filing Declaration of Candidacy.

Section 3513.051 | County Central Committee May Determine No Need for Petition.

Section 3513.052 | Candidacy for More Than One Office at a Time Prohibited.

Section 3513.06 | Change of Name of Candidate.

Section 3513.07 | Form of Declaration of Candidacy and Petition.

Section 3513.08 | Declaration of Candidacy for Judicial Office.

Section 3513.09 | Candidate's Signature.

Section 3513.10 | Filing Fees.

Section 3513.11 | State Convention of Major Political Parties.

Section 3513.111 | Nominating Candidates for Election as Presidential Electors.

Section 3513.12 | Delegates to National Party Convention.

Section 3513.121 | Delegates to National Party Convention Alternative Procedures.

Section 3513.122 | Electing Delegates and Alternates to Other National Conventions or Conferences.

Section 3513.13 | Separate Primary Election Ballots for Political Parties.

Section 3513.131 | Candidates With Identical Surnames.

Section 3513.14 | Primary Election Ballot Form.

Section 3513.15 | Rotating Names of Candidates on Ballot.

Section 3513.151 | Arrangement of Names of Candidates for Delegate and Alternate to National Convention of Political Party.

Section 3513.16 | Designation of Term for Judge of Court of Common Pleas on Primary Ballot.

Section 3513.17 | Death of Candidate Before Primary Election.

Section 3513.18 | Primary Election Pollbooks.

Section 3513.19 | Challenges at Primary Elections.

Section 3513.191 | Disqualification of Candidate for Party Primary.

Section 3513.192 | Forfeiting Nomination.

Section 3513.20 | Effect of Challenge to Voter at Primary.

Section 3513.21 | Counting and Return of Ballots.

Section 3513.22 | Canvass and Certification of Votes.

Section 3513.23 | Write-in Votes.

Section 3513.24 | Canvass of Votes for Members of Party Committees.

Section 3513.251 | Nomination for Officers of Municipal Corporation.

Section 3513.253 | Nomination for Officers of Township.

Section 3513.254 | Nomination for Members of Board of Education.

Section 3513.255 | Petitions for Member of Governing Board of Educational Service Center.

Section 3513.256 | Procedures for a Nonpartisan Primary Election.

Section 3513.257 | Independent Candidates Statements of Candidacy and Nominating Petitions.

Section 3513.259 | Nomination for Member of the State Board of Education.

Section 3513.261 | Nominating Petition Form and Fee.

Section 3513.262 | Filing Deadline for Nominating Petitions.

Section 3513.263 | Processing Nominating Petitions.

Section 3513.271 | Name Change Within Five Years Immediately Preceding Filing of Statement of Candidacy.

Section 3513.28 | Designation of Term.

Section 3513.30 | Death or Withdrawal of Candidate Before Primary Election.

Section 3513.301 | Special Election of Party Candidate for Congress.

Section 3513.31 | Withdrawal, Disqualification, or Death of Candidate Prior to General Election.

Section 3513.311 | Withdrawal, Disqualification, or Death of Governor or Lieutenant Governor Candidate Prior to General Election.

Section 3513.312 | Withdrawal, Disqualification, or Death of Congress Candidate Prior to General Election.

Section 3513.32 | Primary Preceding Special Election.

Section 3513.33 | Notice of Prohibited Campaign Practices.