| (Ohio Const. Art. II,
sections 1, 1a, and 1g; Art. XVI, sec. 1; R.C. 3501.05, 3501.38,
3501.381, 3501.382, 3503.06, 3513.10; R.C. Chapter 3519.) |
| PURPOSE |
An initiative petition may propose to
amend the Ohio Constitution. A proposed amendment becomes effective
if approved by the majority of voters voting on the proposed
amendment. |
| AUTHORITY: |
ACTION:
|
Committee for
Petitioners
(R.C. 3519.02) |
Petitioners designate a committee of not
less than three (3) nor more than five (5) persons to represent them
in all matters relating to the petition. |
Initial Filing With Attorney
General & Secretary of State
(R.C. 3501.05,
3519.01, 3519.05) |
Written petition signed by 1000 electors
must be submitted to the Attorney General with the full text and
summary of the proposed amendment. The Attorney General certifies
if, in his opinion, the summary is a fair and truthful statement of
the proposed amendment. The Attorney General must forward the
petition to the Ohio Ballot Board for its approval. If the Ohio
Ballot Board certifies the petition, a verified copy of the
constitutional amendment, together with its summary and Attorney
General's certification must then be filed with the Secretary of
State by the Attorney General. |
Petition To Be
Circulated
(Art. II, sec.1g; R.C. 3501.38, 3501.381,
3501.382, 3503.06, 3519.05) |
Petitioners draw up the petition. It may be made up of
part-petitions, but all separate petitions shall be filed at one
time as one instrument. Each part-petition must have a copy of the
title and full text of the proposed amendment.
Circulator must be Ohio resident. Form 15
must be filed with Secretary of State prior to circulating petition
if an entity or an individual is being compensated for supervising,
managing or otherwise organizing any effort to obtain signatures.
|
Signature
Requirements
(Art. II, sec. 1a, R.C. 3519.14) |
The total number of signatures on the
petition must equal at least ten percent (10%) of the total vote
cast for the office of governor at the last gubernatorial election.
The Secretary of State may not accept for filing any initiative
petition which does not purport to contain at least the minimum
number of signatures required. |
Signature Distribution
(Art. II, sec.1g; R.C. 3519.14) |
The signatures must have been obtained
from at least 44 of the 88 counties of the state. From each of these
44 counties, there must be signatures equal to at least five percent
(5%) of the total vote cast for the office of governor in that
county at the last gubernatorial election. |
Filing Fee
(R.C.
3513.10) |
Twenty-five dollars ($25.00) to be paid
at the time of filing. |
Signature Verification
(R.C. 3519.10) |
Each signer must be a qualified elector
of the state. Each part-petition must contain signatures of electors
of only one county. If a part-petition contains signatures of more
than one county, the Secretary of State determines the county from
which the majority of signatures came from, and only signatures from
that county will be counted. |
Alteration after
Filing
(R.C. 3501.38) |
Signatures may not be withdrawn after
part-petitions are filed with the Secretary of State. |
Filing Deadline
(Art.
II, sec. 1a; R.C. 3501.05) |
The petition must be filed with the
Secretary of State not later than ninety (90) days prior to the
general election at which the amendment is to be submitted. |
Supplemental Petitions
(Art. II, sec. 1g) |
The petition and signatures on such
petition shall be presumed to be in all respects sufficient, unless
not later than forty (40) days before the election, it shall be
otherwise proved, and in such event ten (10) additional days shall
be allowed for the filing of additional signatures. |
Arguments
(Art. II,
sec. 1g; Art. XVI, sec. 1; R.C. 3519.03) |
The committee named on the petition may prepare and file an
argument and/or explanation in favor of the amendment not later than
the eighth (80th) day before the date of the election with the
Secretary of State.
If the committee fails to prepare or timely file the argument
and/or explanation, the Secretary of State shall notify the Ohio
Ballot Board. The Ohio Ballot Board shall prepare or designate a
group to prepare the argument and/or explanation. The argument
and/or explanation must be filed with the Secretary of State not
later than seventy-five (75) days before the election.
The argument and/or explanation in favor of the law or section of
law being referred is prepared by persons named by the General
Assembly, if in session, or if not in session, by the Governor. The
argument and/or explanation must be filed with the Secretary of
State not later than seventy-five (75) days before the election.
The arguments and/or explanations may not exceed 300
words.
|
| Effective Date |
Any amendment approved by the majority of
voters is effective thirty (30) days after the election.
|