Chapter 3517 | Campaigns; Political Parties

Section 3517.01 | Political party definitions.

• Effective: October 17, 2019
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly

(A)(1) A political party within the meaning of Title XXXV of the Revised Code is any group of voters that meets either of the following requirements:

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this division, at the most recent regular state election, the group polled for its candidate for governor in the state or nominees for presidential electors at least three per cent of the entire vote cast for that office. A group that meets the requirements of this division remains a political party for a period of four years after meeting those requirements.

(b) The group filed with the secretary of state, subsequent to its failure to meet the requirements of division (A)(1)(a) of this section, a party formation petition that meets all of the following requirements:

(i) The petition is signed by qualified electors equal in number to at least one per cent of the total vote for governor or nominees for presidential electors at the most recent election for such office.

(ii) The petition is signed by not fewer than five hundred qualified electors from each of at least a minimum of one-half of the congressional districts in this state. If an odd number of congressional districts exists in this state, the number of districts that results from dividing the number of congressional districts by two shall be rounded up to the next whole number.

(iii) The petition declares the petitioners' intention of organizing a political party, the name of which shall be stated in the declaration, and of participating in the succeeding general election, held in even-numbered years, that occurs more than one hundred twenty-five days after the date of filing.

(iv) The petition designates a committee of not less than three nor more than five individuals of the petitioners, who shall represent the petitioners in all matters relating to the petition. Notice of all matters or proceedings pertaining to the petition may be served on the committee, or any of them, either personally or by registered mail, or by leaving such notice at the usual place of residence of each of them.

(2) No such group of electors shall assume a name or designation that is similar, in the opinion of the secretary of state, to that of an existing political party as to confuse or mislead the voters at an election.

(B) A campaign committee shall be legally liable for any debts, contracts, or expenditures incurred or executed in its name.

(C) Notwithstanding the definitions found in section 3501.01 of the Revised Code, as used in this section and sections 3517.08 to 3517.14, 3517.99, and 3517.992 of the Revised Code:

(1) "Campaign committee" means a candidate or a combination of two or more persons authorized by a candidate under section 3517.081 of the Revised Code to receive contributions and make expenditures.

(2) "Campaign treasurer" means an individual appointed by a candidate under section 3517.081 of the Revised Code.

(3) "Candidate" has the same meaning as in division (H) of section 3501.01 of the Revised Code and also includes any person who, at any time before or after an election, receives contributions or makes expenditures or other use of contributions, has given consent for another to receive contributions or make expenditures or other use of contributions, or appoints a campaign treasurer, for the purpose of bringing about the person's nomination or election to public office. When two persons jointly seek the offices of governor and lieutenant governor, "candidate" means the pair of candidates jointly. "Candidate" does not include candidates for election to the offices of member of a county or state central committee, presidential elector, and delegate to a national convention or conference of a political party.

(4) "Continuing association" means an association, other than a campaign committee, political party, legislative campaign fund, political contributing entity, or labor organization, that is intended to be a permanent organization that has a primary purpose other than supporting or opposing specific candidates, political parties, or ballot issues, and that functions on a regular basis throughout the year. "Continuing association" includes organizations that are determined to be not organized for profit under subsection 501 and that are described in subsection 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), or 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code.

(5) "Contribution" means a loan, gift, deposit, forgiveness of indebtedness, donation, advance, payment, or transfer of funds or anything of value, including a transfer of funds from an inter vivos or testamentary trust or decedent's estate, and the payment by any person other than the person to whom the services are rendered for the personal services of another person, which contribution is made, received, or used for the purpose of influencing the results of an election. Any loan, gift, deposit, forgiveness of indebtedness, donation, advance, payment, or transfer of funds or of anything of value, including a transfer of funds from an inter vivos or testamentary trust or decedent's estate, and the payment by any campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, political contributing entity, or person other than the person to whom the services are rendered for the personal services of another person, that is made, received, or used by a state or county political party, other than the moneys an entity may receive under sections 3517.101, 3517.1012, and 3517.1013 of the Revised Code, shall be considered to be a "contribution" for the purpose of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code and shall be included on a statement of contributions filed under that section.

"Contribution" does not include any of the following:

(a) Services provided without compensation by individuals volunteering a portion or all of their time on behalf of a person;

(b) Ordinary home hospitality;

(c) The personal expenses of a volunteer paid for by that volunteer campaign worker;

(d) Any gift given to an entity pursuant to section 3517.101 of the Revised Code;

(e) Any contribution as defined in section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code that is made, received, or used to pay the direct costs of producing or airing an electioneering communication;

(f) Any gift given to a state or county political party for the party's restricted fund under division (A)(2) of section 3517.1012 of the Revised Code;

(g) Any gift given to a state political party for deposit in a Levin account pursuant to section 3517.1013 of the Revised Code. As used in this division, "Levin account" has the same meaning as in that section.

(h) Any donation given to a transition fund under section 3517.1014 of the Revised Code.

(6) "Expenditure" means the disbursement or use of a contribution for the purpose of influencing the results of an election or of making a charitable donation under division (G) of section 3517.08 of the Revised Code. Any disbursement or use of a contribution by a state or county political party is an expenditure and shall be considered either to be made for the purpose of influencing the results of an election or to be made as a charitable donation under division (G) of section 3517.08 of the Revised Code and shall be reported on a statement of expenditures filed under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code. During the thirty days preceding a primary or general election, any disbursement to pay the direct costs of producing or airing a broadcast, cable, or satellite communication that refers to a clearly identified candidate shall be considered to be made for the purpose of influencing the results of that election and shall be reported as an expenditure or as an independent expenditure under section 3517.10 or 3517.105 of the Revised Code, as applicable, except that the information required to be reported regarding contributors for those expenditures or independent expenditures shall be the same as the information required to be reported under divisions (D)(1) and (2) of section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code.

As used in this division, "broadcast, cable, or satellite communication" and "refers to a clearly identified candidate" have the same meanings as in section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code.

(7) "Personal expenses" includes, but is not limited to, ordinary expenses for accommodations, clothing, food, personal motor vehicle or airplane, and home telephone.

(8) "Political action committee" means a combination of two or more persons, the primary or major purpose of which is to support or oppose any candidate, political party, or issue, or to influence the result of any election through express advocacy, and that is not a political party, a campaign committee, a political contributing entity, or a legislative campaign fund. "Political action committee" does not include either of the following:

(a) A continuing association that makes disbursements for the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications and that does not engage in express advocacy;

(b) A political club that is formed primarily for social purposes and that consists of one hundred members or less, has officers and periodic meetings, has less than two thousand five hundred dollars in its treasury at all times, and makes an aggregate total contribution of one thousand dollars or less per calendar year.

(9) "Public office" means any state, county, municipal, township, or district office, except an office of a political party, that is filled by an election and the offices of United States senator and representative.

(10) "Anything of value" has the same meaning as in section 1.03 of the Revised Code.

(11) "Beneficiary of a campaign fund" means a candidate, a public official or employee for whose benefit a campaign fund exists, and any other person who has ever been a candidate or public official or employee and for whose benefit a campaign fund exists.

(12) "Campaign fund" means money or other property, including contributions.

(13) "Public official or employee" has the same meaning as in section 102.01 of the Revised Code.

(14) "Caucus" means all of the members of the house of representatives or all of the members of the senate of the general assembly who are members of the same political party.

(15) "Legislative campaign fund" means a fund that is established as an auxiliary of a state political party and associated with one of the houses of the general assembly.

(16) "In-kind contribution" means anything of value other than money that is used to influence the results of an election or is transferred to or used in support of or in opposition to a candidate, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, political action committee, or political contributing entity and that is made with the consent of, in coordination, cooperation, or consultation with, or at the request or suggestion of the benefited candidate, committee, fund, party, or entity. The financing of the dissemination, distribution, or republication, in whole or part, of any broadcast or of any written, graphic, or other form of campaign materials prepared by the candidate, the candidate's campaign committee, or their authorized agents is an in-kind contribution to the candidate and an expenditure by the candidate.

(17) "Independent expenditure" means an expenditure by a person advocating the election or defeat of an identified candidate or candidates, that is not made with the consent of, in coordination, cooperation, or consultation with, or at the request or suggestion of any candidate or candidates or of the campaign committee or agent of the candidate or candidates. As used in division (C)(17) of this section:

(a) "Person" means an individual, partnership, unincorporated business organization or association, political action committee, political contributing entity, separate segregated fund, association, or other organization or group of persons, but not a labor organization or a corporation unless the labor organization or corporation is a political contributing entity.

(b) "Advocating" means any communication containing a message advocating election or defeat.

(c) "Identified candidate" means that the name of the candidate appears, a photograph or drawing of the candidate appears, or the identity of the candidate is otherwise apparent by unambiguous reference.

(d) "Made in coordination, cooperation, or consultation with, or at the request or suggestion of, any candidate or the campaign committee or agent of the candidate" means made pursuant to any arrangement, coordination, or direction by the candidate, the candidate's campaign committee, or the candidate's agent prior to the publication, distribution, display, or broadcast of the communication. An expenditure is presumed to be so made when it is any of the following:

(i) Based on information about the candidate's plans, projects, or needs provided to the person making the expenditure by the candidate, or by the candidate's campaign committee or agent, with a view toward having an expenditure made;

(ii) Made by or through any person who is, or has been, authorized to raise or expend funds, who is, or has been, an officer of the candidate's campaign committee, or who is, or has been, receiving any form of compensation or reimbursement from the candidate or the candidate's campaign committee or agent;

(iii) Except as otherwise provided in division (D) of section 3517.105 of the Revised Code, made by a political party in support of a candidate, unless the expenditure is made by a political party to conduct voter registration or voter education efforts.

(e) "Agent" means any person who has actual oral or written authority, either express or implied, to make or to authorize the making of expenditures on behalf of a candidate, or means any person who has been placed in a position with the candidate's campaign committee or organization such that it would reasonably appear that in the ordinary course of campaign-related activities the person may authorize expenditures.

(18) "Labor organization" means a labor union; an employee organization; a federation of labor unions, groups, locals, or other employee organizations; an auxiliary of a labor union, employee organization, or federation of labor unions, groups, locals, or other employee organizations; or any other bona fide organization in which employees participate and that exists for the purpose, in whole or in part, of dealing with employers concerning grievances, labor disputes, wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment.

(19) "Separate segregated fund" means a separate segregated fund established pursuant to the Federal Election Campaign Act.

(20) "Federal Election Campaign Act" means the "Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971," 86 Stat. 11, 2 U.S.C.A. 431, et seq., as amended.

(21) "Restricted fund" means the fund a state or county political party must establish under division (A)(1) of section 3517.1012 of the Revised Code.

(22) "Electioneering communication" has the same meaning as in section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code.

(23) "Express advocacy" means a communication that contains express words advocating the nomination, election, or defeat of a candidate or that contains express words advocating the adoption or defeat of a question or issue, as determined by a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction.

(24) "Political committee" has the same meaning as in section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code.

(25) "Political contributing entity" means any entity, including a corporation or labor organization, that may lawfully make contributions and expenditures and that is not an individual or a political action committee, continuing association, campaign committee, political party, legislative campaign fund, designated state campaign committee, or state candidate fund. For purposes of this division, "lawfully" means not prohibited by any section of the Revised Code, or authorized by a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction.

(26) "Internet identifier of record" has the same meaning as in section 9.312 of the Revised Code.

Section 3517.011 | Petition form.

• Effective: September 27, 1974
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 662 - 110th General Assembly

The petition required in section 3517.01 of the Revised Code shall be on a form prescribed by the secretary of state. The petition may be presented in separate parts but each part shall contain a full and correct copy of the declaration. Such petition or part petition shall be circulated and signed as required by section 3501.38 of the Revised Code.

Section 3517.012 | Party comes into legal existence on date of filing.

• Effective: February 5, 2014
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 193 - 130th General Assembly

(A)(1) When a party formation petition meeting the requirements of section 3517.01 of the Revised Code declaring the intention to organize a political party is filed with the secretary of state, the new party comes into legal existence on the date of filing and is entitled to nominate candidates to appear on the ballot at the general election held in even-numbered years that occurs more than one hundred twenty-five days after the date of filing.

(2)(a) Upon receiving a party formation petition filed under division (A)(1) of this section, the secretary of state shall promptly transmit to each board of elections the separate petition papers that purport to contain signatures of electors of that board's county.

(b) Not later than the one hundred eighteenth day before the day of the general election, each board shall examine and determine the sufficiency of the signatures on the petition papers and shall return them to the secretary of state, together with the board's certification of its determination as to the validity or invalidity of the signatures on the petition.

(c) Any qualified elector may file a written protest against the petition with the secretary of state not later than the one hundred fourteenth day before the day of the general election. Any such protest shall be resolved in the manner specified under section 3501.39 of the Revised Code.

(d) Not later than the ninety-fifth day before the day of the general election, the secretary of state shall determine whether the party formation petition is sufficient and shall notify the committee designated in the petition of that determination.

(B)(1) Not later than one hundred ten days before the day of that general election and not earlier than the day the applicable party formation petition is filed, each candidate or pair of joint candidates wishing to appear on the ballot at the general election as the nominee or nominees of the party that filed the party formation petition shall file a nominating petition, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, that includes the name of the political party that submitted the party formation petition. Except as otherwise provided in this section and sections 3505.03, 3505.08, 3506.11, 3513.31, 3513.311, and 3513.312 of the Revised Code, the provisions of the Revised Code concerning independent candidates who file nominating petitions apply to candidates who file nominating petitions under this section.

(2)(a) If the candidacy is to be submitted to electors throughout the entire state, the nominating petition, including a petition for joint candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor, shall be signed by at least fifty qualified electors who have not voted as a member of a different political party at any primary election within the current year or the immediately preceding two calendar years.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in this division, if the candidacy is to be submitted only to electors within a district, political subdivision, or portion thereof, the nominating petition shall be signed by not less than five qualified electors who have not voted as a member of a different political party at any primary election within the current year or the immediately preceding two calendar years.

(3)(a) Each board of elections that is responsible to verify signatures on the nominating petition shall examine and determine the sufficiency of those signatures not later than the one hundred fifth day before the day of the general election and shall be resolved as specified in that section.

(b) Written protests against the petition may be filed in the manner specified under section 3513.263 of the Revised Code not later than the one hundredth day before the general election and shall be resolved as specified in that section.

(c) Not later than the ninety-fifth day before the day of the general election, the secretary of state or the board of elections, as applicable, shall determine whether the nominating petition is sufficient and shall notify the candidate and the committee designated in the party formation petition of that determination.

(C)(1) After being notified that the political party has submitted a sufficient party formation petition under division (A) of this section, the committee designated in a party formation petition shall, not later than the seventy-fifth day before the day of the general election, certify to the secretary of state a slate of candidates consisting of candidates or joint candidates who submitted sufficient nominating petitions under division (B) of this section. The slate certifying the candidates shall be on a form prescribed by the secretary of state and signed by all of the individuals of the committee designated in the party formation petition. In no event shall the slate of candidates include more than one candidate for any public office or more than one set of joint candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor. The names of the candidates or joint candidates so certified shall appear on the ballot at the general election as that party's nominees for those offices. For purposes of this division, "joint candidates" means the joint candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor.

(2) If a candidate's nominating petition is insufficient or if the committee does not certify the candidate's name under division (C)(1) of this section, the candidate shall not appear on the ballot in the general election.

(3) If a party formation petition is insufficient, no candidate shall appear on the ballot in the general election as that political party's nominee, regardless of whether any candidate's nominating petition is sufficient.

Section 3517.013 | Candidate of new party not disqualified by having voted in different party primary.

• Effective: October 30, 1969
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 24 - 108th General Assembly

Section 3513.191 of the Revised Code does not apply to persons desiring to become candidates for party nomination of a newly formed political party meeting the requirements of sections 3517.011 and 3517.012 of the Revised Code for a period of four calendar years from the date of the party formation.

Section 3517.014 | Candidate of new party not disqualified at first primary election after formation.

• Effective: August 15, 2012
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 295 - 129th General Assembly

Those provisions of section 3513.19 of the Revised Code relating to the determination of membership in or political affiliation with a party do not apply to persons desiring to become candidates for party nomination of a newly formed political party meeting the requirements of sections 3517.011 and 3517.012 of the Revised Code at the first primary held by that party in the even-numbered year occurring subsequent to the formation of that party.

Section 3517.016 | New party primary vote not barred by prior party affiliation.

• Effective: August 15, 2012
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 295 - 129th General Assembly

At the first primary election held by a newly formed political party meeting the requirements of sections 3517.011 and 3517.012 of the Revised Code, any qualified elector who desires to vote the new party primary ballot is not subject to section 3513.19 of the Revised Code and shall be allowed to vote the new party primary ballot regardless of prior political party affiliation.

Section 3517.02 | Controlling committees of major or intermediate political party.

• Effective: February 5, 2014
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 193 - 130th General Assembly

All members of controlling committees of a major political party shall be elected by direct vote of the members of the party, except as otherwise provided in section 3517.05 of the Revised Code. Their names shall be placed upon the official ballot, and, notwithstanding division (B) of section 3513.23 of the Revised Code, the persons receiving the highest number of votes for committeepersons shall be the members of those controlling committees. Each member of a controlling committee shall be a resident and qualified elector of the district, ward, or precinct that the member is elected to represent. All members of controlling committees of a minor political party shall be determined in accordance with party rules.

Each political party shall file with the office of the secretary of state a copy of its constitution and bylaws, if any, within thirty days of adoption or amendment. Each party shall also file with the office of the secretary of state a list of members of its controlling committees and other party officials within thirty days of their election or appointment.

Section 3517.03 | Controlling committees of major or intermediate political party membership.

• Effective: February 5, 2014
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 193 - 130th General Assembly

The controlling committees of each major political party or organization shall be a state central committee consisting of two members, one a man and one a woman, representing either each congressional district in the state or each senatorial district in the state, as the outgoing committee determines; a county central committee consisting of one member from each election precinct in the county, or of one member from each ward in each city and from each township in the county, as the outgoing committee determines; and such district, city, township, or other committees as the rules of the party provide.

All the members of such committees shall be members of the party and shall be elected for terms of either two or four years, as determined by party rules, by direct vote at the primary held in an even-numbered year. Except as otherwise provided in section 3517.02 of the Revised Code, candidates for election as state central committee members shall be elected at primaries in the same manner as provided in sections 3513.01 to 3513.32 of the Revised Code for the nomination of candidates for office in a county. Candidates for election as members of the county central committee shall be elected at primaries in the same manner as provided in those sections for the nomination of candidates for county offices, except as otherwise provided in sections 3513.051 and 3517.02 of the Revised Code.

Each major party controlling committee shall elect an executive committee that shall have the powers granted to it by the party controlling committee, and provided to it by law. When a judicial, senatorial, or congressional district is comprised of more than one county, the chairperson and secretary of the county central committee from each county in that district shall constitute the judicial, senatorial, or congressional committee of the district. When a judicial, senatorial, or congressional district is included within a county, the county central committee shall constitute the judicial, senatorial, or congressional committee of the district.

A minor political party may elect controlling committees at a primary election in the even-numbered year by filing a plan for party organization with the secretary of state on or before the ninetieth day before the day of the primary election. The plan shall specify which offices are to be elected and provide the procedure for qualification of candidates for those offices. Candidates to be elected pursuant to the plan shall be designated and qualified on or before the ninetieth day before the day of the election. Such parties may, in lieu of electing a controlling committee or other officials, choose such committee or other officials in accordance with party rules. Each such party shall file the names and addresses of members of its controlling committee and party officers with the secretary of state.

Section 3517.04 | Organization of state central committees.

• Effective: October 30, 1989
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 6 - 118th General Assembly

The members-elect of each major political party state central committee shall, except as otherwise provided in this section, meet following the declaration of the results by the boards of elections of the election of members of the state central committees, at a suitable place and time to be designated by the retiring chairman of the committee in accordance with party rules. In the case of a county central committee, the meeting shall be held not earlier than six nor later than fifteen days following the declaration of the results by the board of elections of the election of members of county central committees in that county. Notice of any meeting held pursuant to this section, giving the place and time, shall be sent to each member-elect by the retiring secretary of the committee by mail and a copy of the notice shall be posted in the office of the secretary of state or board of elections, as the case may be, at least five days prior to any such meeting. The meeting shall be called to order by the retiring chairman or secretary or if there is no such officer, or if such officer is absent, then by a member of such committee designated by the secretary of state in the case of the state committees, and by a member of the board of elections of the same political party, designated by the board, in the case of county committees. A temporary chairman and secretary shall be chosen and the committee shall proceed to organize by the election of a chairman, vice-chairman, treasurer, secretary, and such other officers as the rules provide.

Section 3517.05 | Terms of party committees - determining rightful county central or executive committee.

• Effective: October 19, 1978
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 655 - 112th General Assembly

All party committees, the selection of which is provided for in sections 3517.02 and 3517.03 of the Revised Code, shall, except as otherwise provided in this section, serve until the date of the organizational meeting provided for in section 3517.04 of the Revised Code. A county central committee shall serve until the sixth day after the date of the declaration of the results by the board of elections of the primary election in that county. In case of vacancies caused by death, resignation, failure to elect, or removal from the precinct, ward, township, or district from which a committeeman was chosen, the controlling committee or, if authorized, the executive committee shall fill the vacancy for the unexpired term by a majority vote of the members of such committee.

If more than one organized group claims to be the rightful county central or executive committee, each such group shall file a list of its officers and members as provided in section 3517.06 of the Revised Code, and the board of elections with which such lists are filed shall certify them to the state central committee of the party concerned. The state central committee shall meet within thirty days after receipt of such certification and forthwith determine and certify which committee shall be recognized as the rightful county central or executive committee.

Section 3517.06 | Names and addresses of members and officers of county central committee and county executive committee.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

A list of the names and addresses of the members and officers of the county central committee and the county executive committee of each political party shall be filed by the secretary of each committee in the office of the board of elections of the county in which such committee exists and in the office of the secretary of state promptly after the organization of each of such committees. A list of the names and addresses of the members of the state central committee and the state executive committee of each political party shall be filed by the secretary of each committee in the office of the secretary of state promptly after the organization of each of such committees.

All changes occurring in the membership of a county central or executive committee after such filing shall be reported promptly by the secretary of such committee to the board and to the secretary of state. All changes occurring in the membership of a state central or executive committee after such filing shall be reported promptly by the secretary of such committee to the secretary of state. All such lists shall be open to public inspection at all times when the offices in which they are filed are open for business.

Section 3517.07 | Parties or groups advocating overthrow of government by force or violence.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

No political party or group which advocates, either directly or indirectly, the overthrow, by force or violence, of our local, state, or national government or which carries on a program of sedition or treason by radio, speech, or press or which has in any manner any connection with any foreign government or power or which in any manner has any connection with any group or organization so connected or so advocating the overthrow, by force or violence, of our local, state, or national government or so carrying on a program of sedition or treason by radio, speech, or press shall be recognized or be given a place on the ballot in any primary or general election held in the state or in any political subdivision thereof.

Any party or group desiring to have a place on the ballot shall file with the secretary of state and with the board of elections in each county in which it desires to have a place on the ballot an affidavit made by not less than ten members of such party, not less than three of whom shall be executive officers thereof, under oath stating that it does not advocate, either directly or indirectly, the overthrow, by force or violence, of our local, state, or national government; that it does not carry on any program of sedition or treason by radio, speech, or press; that it has no connection with any foreign government or power; that it has no connection with any group or organization so connected or so advocating, either directly or indirectly, the overthrow, by force or violence, of our local, state, or national government or so carrying on a program of sedition or treason by radio, speech, or press.

Said affidavit shall be filed not less than six nor more than nine months prior to the primary or general election in which the party or group desires to have a place on the ballot. The secretary of state shall investigate the facts appearing in the affidavit and shall within sixty days after the filing thereof find and certify whether or not this party or group is entitled under this section to have a place on the ballot.

Any qualified member of such party or group or any elector of this state may appeal from the finding of the secretary of state to the supreme court of Ohio.

This section does not apply to any political party or group which has had a place on the ballot in each national and gubernatorial election since the year 1900.

Section 3517.08 | Expenses of candidate, political action committee, political party, or political contributing entity.

• Effective: April 26, 2005
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 115 - 126th General Assembly

(A) The personal expenses of a candidate paid for by the candidate, from the candidate's personal funds, shall not be considered as a contribution by or an expenditure by the candidate and shall not be reported under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(B)(1) An expenditure by a political action committee or a political contributing entity shall not be considered a contribution by the political action committee or the political contributing entity or an expenditure by or on behalf of the candidate if the purpose of the expenditure is to inform only its members by means of mailed publications of its activities or endorsements.

(2) An expenditure by a political party shall not be considered a contribution by the political party or an expenditure by or on behalf of the candidate if the purpose of the expenditure is to inform predominantly the party's members by means of mailed publications or other direct communication of its activities or endorsements, or for voter contact such as sample ballots, absent voter's ballots application mailings, voter registration, or get-out-the-vote activities.

(C) An expenditure by a continuing association, political contributing entity, or political party shall not be considered a contribution to any campaign committee or an expenditure by or on behalf of any campaign committee if the purpose of the expenditure is for the staff and maintenance of the continuing association's, political contributing entity's, or political party's headquarters, or for a political poll, survey, index, or other type of measurement not on behalf of a specific candidate.

(D) The expenses of maintaining a constituent office paid for, from the candidate's personal funds, by a candidate who is a member of the general assembly at the time of the election shall not be considered a contribution by or an expenditure by or on behalf of the candidate, and shall not be reported, if the constituent office is not used for any candidate's campaign activities.

(E) The net contribution of each social or fund-raising activity shall be calculated by totaling all contributions to the activity minus the expenditures made for the activity.

(F) An expenditure that purchases goods or services shall be attributed to an election when the disbursement of funds is made, rather than at the time the goods or services are used. The secretary of state, under the procedures of Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall establish rules for the attribution of expenditures to a candidate when the candidate is a candidate for more than one office during a reporting period and for expenditures made in a year in which no election is held. The secretary of state shall further define by rule those expenditures that are or are not by or on behalf of a candidate.

(G) An expenditure for the purpose of a charitable donation may be made if it is made to an organization that is exempt from federal income taxation under subsection 501(a) and described in subsection 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), 501(c)(8), 501(c)(10), or 501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Code or is approved by advisory opinion of the Ohio elections commission as a legitimate charitable organization. Each expenditure under this division shall be separately itemized on statements made pursuant to section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

Section 3517.081 | Campaign committee, treasurer.

• Effective: May 2, 2006
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 3 - 126th General Assembly

(A) Each candidate shall have no more than one campaign committee for purposes of receiving contributions and making expenditures. No campaign committee shall receive any contribution or make any expenditure other than through the campaign treasurer. The campaign treasurer shall file all statements required of a candidate or campaign committee under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

The candidate shall designate the candidate or a member of the candidate's campaign committee as the candidate's campaign treasurer as required by division (D) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code. The campaign treasurer may appoint deputy campaign treasurers as required. Deputy campaign treasurers may exercise any of the powers and duties of a campaign treasurer when specifically authorized to do so by the campaign treasurer or the candidate.

Each candidate shall file a written statement, as required by division (D) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code, setting forth the full name and address of the campaign treasurer and also of each deputy treasurer. Each candidate shall file supplemental statements giving the full name and address of each deputy treasurer at the time of appointment.

A candidate may remove the campaign treasurer or any deputy campaign treasurer at any time. In the case of death, resignation, or removal of the treasurer or deputy treasurer before compliance with all obligations of a campaign treasurer, the candidate shall fill the vacancy thus created in the same manner as provided in the case of an original appointment.

(B)(1) Two or more candidates may be the beneficiaries of a single campaign committee if all of the following apply:

(a) Each candidate is seeking nomination or election to the same office at the same election.

(b) The office for which each candidate is seeking nomination or election is the office of member of a board, commission, or other similar body of elected officials to which multiple members are nominated or elected at the same election.

(c) The number of candidates who will be the beneficiaries of the campaign committee does not exceed the number of open positions on the board, commission, or other similar body of elected officials to which the candidates are seeking nomination or election.

(d) The candidates jointly designate one of the candidates or one member of the campaign committee as the treasurer of that campaign committee as required under division (A) of this section.

(e) The candidates jointly file the written statements required under division (A) of this section.

(2) Except as otherwise provided in this division, any penalty that may be imposed on a candidate under section 3517.992 of the Revised Code for a violation of this chapter shall be imposed jointly and severally on each beneficiary of a multi-beneficiary campaign committee. If the Ohio elections commission or the appropriate prosecutor is able to determine that a specific beneficiary of a multi-beneficiary campaign committee violated this chapter, the applicable penalty under section 3517.992 of the Revised Code shall be imposed only on that candidate and not on the other beneficiaries of that multi-beneficiary campaign committee.

(3)(a) If any of the following occur after a multi-beneficiary campaign committee is established, that campaign committee shall be terminated:

(i) The beneficiaries of the campaign committee disagree as to the designation or removal of a campaign treasurer.

(ii) Any beneficiary of the campaign committee desires to end the beneficiary's candidacy for the office for which the beneficiaries are seeking nomination or election.

(iii) Any beneficiary of the campaign committee desires to form an individual campaign committee.

(b) Prior to the termination of a multi-beneficiary campaign committee in accordance with division (B)(3)(a) of this section, any contributions received by that campaign committee that have not been expended shall be disposed of in the manner provided in division (C) of section 3517.109 of the Revised Code. No contributions from the multi-beneficiary campaign committee shall be contributed or transferred into any candidate's individual campaign committee.

(4) No candidate who has a campaign committee for which that candidate is the sole beneficiary shall become the beneficiary of a campaign committee with multiple beneficiaries under division (B)(1) of this section unless the candidate first terminates the candidate's individual campaign committee. Prior to the termination of that individual campaign committee, any contributions received by that campaign committee that have not been expended shall be disposed of in the manner provided in division (C) of section 3517.109 of the Revised Code. No contributions from the candidate's individual campaign committee shall be contributed or transferred into the multi-beneficiary campaign committee.

Section 3517.082 | Political action committee - separate segregated fund.

• Effective: March 31, 2005
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1SPECIALSESSION - 125th General Assembly

(A) Any corporation, any nonprofit corporation, or any labor organization may establish, administer, and solicit contributions from the persons listed in division (B) of this section, to either or both of the following:

(1) A political action committee of the corporation or labor organization with respect to state and local elections;

(2) A separate segregated fund pursuant to the Federal Election Campaign Act.

(B)(1) A corporation and a nonprofit corporation may solicit contributions from its stockholders, officers, directors, trustees that are not corporations or labor organizations, and employees.

(2) A nonprofit corporation also may solicit contributions from:

(a) Its members that are not corporations or labor organizations;

(b) Officers, directors, trustees that are not corporations or labor organizations, and employees of any members of the nonprofit corporation.

(3) A labor organization may solicit contributions from its members, officers, and employees.

(C) A corporation, nonprofit corporation, or labor organization shall report to a political action committee, or to a separate segregated fund with respect to state and local elections, the following costs expended by the corporation, nonprofit corporation, or labor organization that are associated with establishing, administering, and soliciting contributions to the political action committee or separate segregated fund pursuant to division (A) of this section:

(1) Mailing and printing expenses for direct solicitation of contributions pursuant to this section;

(2) The portion of an employee's salary or wages attributable to time the employee spends in activities related to establishing, administering, and soliciting contributions to a political action committee or separate segregated fund, if that time exceeds during a reporting period fifty per cent of the time for which the employee is compensated by the corporation, nonprofit corporation, or labor organization;

(3) The cost associated with the purchase, lease, operation, and use of equipment for activities related to establishing, administering, and soliciting contributions to a political action committee or separate segregated fund if during a reporting period more than fifty per cent of the use of the equipment is for those activities;

(4) Professional fees paid by the corporation, nonprofit corporation, or labor organization for establishing, administering, and soliciting contributions to a political action committee or separate segregated fund.

The political action committee shall itemize the amounts and purposes of those costs expended by the corporation, nonprofit corporation, or labor organization and file them as part of the statement required of political action committees under division (A) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code. The separate segregated fund with respect to state and local elections shall file with the secretary of state a copy of the portion of each report and statement required under the Federal Election Campaign Act that applies to state and local elections at the same time that the entire original report is filed in accordance with that act.

(D) A corporation, nonprofit corporation, or labor organization may obtain contributions for a political action committee or a separate segregated fund under this section from an individual described in division (B) of this section from whom the corporation, nonprofit corporation, or labor organization was not obtaining contributions for that political action committee or separate segregated fund before the effective date of this amendment on an automatic basis pursuant to a payroll deduction plan only if the individual who is contributing to that political action committee or separate segregated fund affirmatively consents to the contribution in writing.

(E) In addition to the laws listed in division (A) of section 4117.10 of the Revised Code that prevail over conflicting agreements between employee organizations and public employers, this section prevails over any conflicting provisions of agreements between labor organizations and public employers that are entered into on or after the effective date of this amendment pursuant to Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code.

Section 3517.09 | Coercing political contributions.

• Effective: April 26, 2005
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 115 - 126th General Assembly

(A) No person or committee shall solicit, ask, invite, or demand, directly or indirectly, orally or in writing, a contribution, subscription, or payment from a candidate for nomination or election or from the campaign committee of that candidate, and no person shall solicit, ask, invite, or demand that a candidate for nomination or election or the campaign committee of that candidate subscribe to the support of a club or organization, buy tickets to an entertainment, ball, supper, or other meeting, or pay for space in a book, program, or publication. This division does not apply to any of the following:

(1) Regular advertisements in periodicals having an established circulation;

(2) Regular payments to civic, political, fraternal, social, charitable, or religious organizations of which the candidate was a member or contributor six months before the candidate's candidacy;

(3) Regular party assessments made by a party against its own candidates.

(B) No person shall coerce, intimidate, or cause harm to another person by an act or failure to act, or shall threaten to coerce, intimidate, or cause harm to another person, because that other person makes or does not make a contribution to a candidate, campaign committee, political party, legislative campaign fund, political action committee, political contributing entity, or person making disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications.

(C) An employer or labor organization, directly or through another person, may obtain contributions for a candidate, campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or person making disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications from an employee or member from whom the employer or labor organization was not obtaining contributions for that candidate, campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or person making disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications before March 31, 2005, on an automatic basis pursuant to a payroll deduction plan only if the employee or member who is contributing to that candidate, campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or person making disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications affirmatively consents to the contribution in writing.

(D) In addition to the laws listed in division (A) of section 4117.10 of the Revised Code that prevail over conflicting agreements between employee organizations and public employers, this section prevails over any conflicting provisions of agreements between labor organizations and public employers that are entered into on or after March 31, 2005, pursuant to Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code.

Section 3517.091 | Door-to-door solicitations for political contributions.

• Effective: October 5, 1987
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 231 - 117th General Assembly

(A) Except as otherwise provided in division (E) of this section, any person or organization that makes door-to-door solicitations for contributions to influence legislation, for contributions to influence the actions of any regulatory agency, or for contributions to support or oppose the campaign of any candidate for political office shall report in writing to the secretary of state by the thirty-first day of July of each year with regard to actions taken during the first six months of that calendar year, and by the thirty-first day of January of each year with regard to actions taken during the second six months of the previous calendar year, all of the following:

(1) The name and address of the solicitor and of the organization, if any, for which the solicitation is made, and the name and address of the organization's director or chief executive officer;

(2) The name and address of each person or organization from which it received one or more contributions, and the amount and date of each such contribution;

(3) A complete list of all receipts and expenditures it has made to influence legislation, to influence the actions of any regulatory agency, or to support or oppose the campaign of any candidate for political office.

(B) Before making any solicitation described in division (A) of this section, the solicitor shall give the person being solicited a written notice that contains all of the following:

(1) The information described in division (A)(1) of this section;

(2) A list of any purposes for which money contributed might be used;

(3) The amount of compensation, if any, being paid to the solicitor;

(4) A statement that the person being solicited may refuse to make a contribution without suffering any reprisal.

(C) No person or organization shall fail to comply with the requirements of division (A) or (B) of this section.

(D) This section does not apply to the solicitation activities of any charitable organization as defined in division (H) of section 2915.01 of the Revised Code.

Section 3517.092 | Solicitation of political contributions from public employees by appointing authorities.

• Effective: May 2, 2006
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 3 - 126th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Appointing authority" has the same meaning as in section 124.01 of the Revised Code.

(2) "State elected officer" means any person appointed or elected to a state elective office.

(3) "State elective office" means any of the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, member of the state board of education, member of the general assembly, and justice and chief justice of the supreme court.

(4) "Contribution" includes a contribution to any political party, campaign committee, political action committee, political contributing entity, or legislative campaign fund.

(B)(1) No state elected officer, no campaign committee of such an officer, no employee of the state elected officer's office, and no other person or entity shall knowingly solicit a contribution to a state elected officer or to such an officer's campaign committee, and no state elected officer and no campaign committee of such an officer shall accept a contribution, from any of the following:

(a) A state employee whose appointing authority is the state elected officer;

(b) A state employee whose appointing authority is authorized or required by law to be appointed by the state elected officer;

(c) A state employee who functions in or is employed in or by the same public agency, department, division, or office as the state elected officer.

(2) No candidate for a state elective office, no campaign committee of such a candidate, no employee of the candidate's office if the candidate is a state elected officer or an elected officer of a political subdivision of the state, and no other person or entity shall knowingly solicit a contribution to a candidate for a state elective office or to such a candidate's campaign committee, and no candidate for a state elective office and no campaign committee of such a candidate shall accept a contribution, from any of the following:

(a) A state employee at the time of the solicitation, whose appointing authority will be the candidate, if elected;

(b) A state employee at the time of the solicitation, whose appointing authority will be appointed by the candidate, if elected, as authorized or required by law;

(c) A state employee at the time of the solicitation, who will function in or be employed in or by the same public agency, department, division, or office as the candidate, if elected.

(C)(1) No elected officer of a political subdivision of the state, no campaign committee of such an officer, no employee of such an officer's office, and no other person or entity shall knowingly solicit a contribution to an elected officer of a political subdivision of the state or to such an officer's campaign committee from any of the following:

(a) An employee of that political subdivision whose appointing authority is that elected officer;

(b) An employee of that political subdivision whose appointing authority is authorized or required by law to be appointed by that elected officer;

(c) An employee of that political subdivision who functions in or is employed in or by the same public agency, department, division, or office as that elected officer.

(2) No candidate for an elective office of a political subdivision of the state, no campaign committee of such a candidate, no employee of the candidate's office if the candidate is a state elected officer or elected officer of a political subdivision of the state, and no other person or entity shall knowingly solicit a contribution to a candidate for an elective office of a political subdivision of the state or to such a candidate's campaign committee from any of the following:

(a) An employee of that political subdivision at the time of the solicitation, whose appointing authority will be the candidate, if elected;

(b) An employee of that political subdivision at the time of the solicitation, whose appointing authority will be appointed by the candidate, if elected, as authorized or required by law;

(c) An employee of that political subdivision at the time of the solicitation, who will function in or be employed in or by the same public agency, department, division, or office as the candidate, if elected.

(D)(1) No public employee shall solicit a contribution from any person while the public employee is performing the public employee's official duties or in those areas of a public building where official business is transacted or conducted.

(2) No person shall solicit a contribution from any public employee while the public employee is performing the public employee's official duties or is in those areas of a public building where official business is transacted or conducted.

(3) As used in division (D) of this section, "public employee" does not include any person holding an elective office.

(E) The prohibitions in divisions (B), (C), and (D) of this section are in addition to the prohibitions in sections 124.57, 3304.22, and 4503.032 of the Revised Code.

Section 3517.10 | Statements of campaign contributions and expenditures.

• Effective: October 3, 2023
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 33 - 135th General Assembly

(A) Except as otherwise provided in this division, every campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, and political contributing entity that made or received a contribution or made an expenditure in connection with the nomination or election of any candidate or in connection with any ballot issue or question at any election held or to be held in this state shall file, on a form prescribed under this section or by electronic means of transmission as provided in this section and section 3517.106 of the Revised Code, a full, true, and itemized statement, made under penalty of election falsification, setting forth in detail the contributions and expenditures, not later than four p.m. of the following dates:

(1) The twelfth day before the election to reflect contributions received and expenditures made from the close of business on the last day reflected in the last previously filed statement, if any, to the close of business on the twentieth day before the election;

(2) The thirty-eighth day after the election to reflect the contributions received and expenditures made from the close of business on the last day reflected in the last previously filed statement, if any, to the close of business on the seventh day before the filing of the statement;

(3) The last business day of January of every year to reflect the contributions received and expenditures made from the close of business on the last day reflected in the last previously filed statement, if any, to the close of business on the last day of December of the previous year;

(4) The last business day of July of every year to reflect the contributions received and expenditures made from the close of business on the last day reflected in the last previously filed statement, if any, to the close of business on the last day of June of that year.

A campaign committee shall only be required to file the statements prescribed under divisions (A)(1) and (2) of this section in connection with the nomination or election of the committee's candidate.

The statement required under division (A)(1) of this section shall not be required of any campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or political contributing entity that has received contributions of less than one thousand dollars and has made expenditures of less than one thousand dollars at the close of business on the twentieth day before the election. Those contributions and expenditures shall be reported in the statement required under division (A)(2) of this section.

If an election to select candidates to appear on the general election ballot is held within sixty days before a general election, the campaign committee of a successful candidate in the earlier election may file the statement required by division (A)(1) of this section for the general election instead of the statement required by division (A)(2) of this section for the earlier election if the pregeneral election statement reflects the status of contributions and expenditures for the period twenty days before the earlier election to twenty days before the general election.

If a person becomes a candidate less than twenty days before an election, the candidate's campaign committee is not required to file the statement required by division (A)(1) of this section.

No statement under division (A)(3) of this section shall be required for any year in which a campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or political contributing entity is required to file a postgeneral election statement under division (A)(2) of this section. However, a statement under division (A)(3) of this section may be filed, at the option of the campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or political contributing entity.

No campaign committee of a candidate for the office of chief justice or justice of the supreme court, and no campaign committee of a candidate for the office of judge of any court in this state, shall be required to file a statement under division (A)(4) of this section.

Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph and in the next paragraph of this section, the only campaign committees required to file a statement under division (A)(4) of this section are the campaign committee of a statewide candidate and the campaign committee of a candidate for county office. The campaign committee of a candidate for any other nonjudicial office is required to file a statement under division (A)(4) of this section if that campaign committee receives, during that period, contributions exceeding ten thousand dollars.

No statement under division (A)(4) of this section shall be required of a campaign committee, a political action committee, a legislative campaign fund, a political party, or a political contributing entity for any year in which the campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or political contributing entity is required to file a postprimary election statement under division (A)(2) of this section. However, a statement under division (A)(4) of this section may be filed at the option of the campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or political contributing entity.

No statement under division (A)(3) or (4) of this section shall be required if the campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or political contributing entity has no contributions that it has received and no expenditures that it has made since the last date reflected in its last previously filed statement. However, the campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or political contributing entity shall file a statement to that effect, on a form prescribed under this section and made under penalty of election falsification, on the date required in division (A)(3) or (4) of this section, as applicable.

The campaign committee of a statewide candidate shall file a monthly statement of contributions received during each of the months of July, August, and September in the year of the general election in which the candidate seeks office. The campaign committee of a statewide candidate shall file the monthly statement not later than three business days after the last day of the month covered by the statement. During the period beginning on the nineteenth day before the general election in which a statewide candidate seeks election to office and extending through the day of that general election, each time the campaign committee of the joint candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor or of a candidate for the office of secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, or attorney general receives a contribution from a contributor that causes the aggregate amount of contributions received from that contributor during that period to equal or exceed ten thousand dollars and each time the campaign committee of a candidate for the office of chief justice or justice of the supreme court receives a contribution from a contributor that causes the aggregate amount of contributions received from that contributor during that period to exceed ten thousand dollars, the campaign committee shall file a two-business-day statement reflecting that contribution. Contributions reported on a two-business-day statement required to be filed by a campaign committee of a statewide candidate in a primary election shall also be included in the postprimary election statement required to be filed by that campaign committee under division (A)(2) of this section. A two-business-day statement required by this paragraph shall be filed not later than two business days after receipt of the contribution. The statements required by this paragraph shall be filed in addition to any other statements required by this section.

Subject to the secretary of state having implemented, tested, and verified the successful operation of any system the secretary of state prescribes pursuant to divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of this section and division (F)(1) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission, a campaign committee of a statewide candidate shall file a two-business-day statement under the preceding paragraph by electronic means of transmission if the campaign committee is required to file a pre-election, postelection, or monthly statement of contributions and expenditures by electronic means of transmission under this section or section 3517.106 of the Revised Code.

If a campaign committee or political action committee has no balance on hand and no outstanding obligations and desires to terminate itself, it shall file a statement to that effect, on a form prescribed under this section and made under penalty of election falsification, with the official with whom it files a statement under division (A) of this section after filing a final statement of contributions and a final statement of expenditures, if contributions have been received or expenditures made since the period reflected in its last previously filed statement.

(B) Except as otherwise provided in division (C)(7) of this section, each statement required by division (A) of this section shall contain the following information:

(1) The full name and address of each campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or political contributing entity, including any treasurer of the committee, fund, party, or entity, filing a contribution and expenditure statement;

(2)(a) In the case of a campaign committee, the candidate's full name and address;

(b) In the case of a political action committee, the registration number assigned to the committee under division (D)(1) of this section.

(3) The date of the election and whether it was or will be a general, primary, or special election;

(4) A statement of contributions received, which shall include the following information:

(a) The month, day, and year of the contribution;

(b)(i) The full name and address of each person, political party, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political action committee, or political contributing entity from whom contributions are received and the registration number assigned to the political action committee under division (D)(1) of this section. The requirement of filing the full address does not apply to any statement filed by a state or local committee of a political party, to a finance committee of such committee, or to a committee recognized by a state or local committee as its fund-raising auxiliary. Notwithstanding division (F) of this section, the requirement of filing the full address shall be considered as being met if the address filed is the same address the contributor provided under division (E)(1) of this section.

(ii) If a political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or political party that is required to file campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission under section 3517.106 of the Revised Code or a campaign committee of a statewide candidate or candidate for the office of member of the general assembly receives a contribution from an individual that exceeds one hundred dollars, the name of the individual's current employer, if any, or, if the individual is self-employed, the individual's occupation and the name of the individual's business, if any;

(iii) If a campaign committee of a statewide candidate or candidate for the office of member of the general assembly receives a contribution transmitted pursuant to section 3599.031 of the Revised Code from amounts deducted from the wages and salaries of two or more employees that exceeds in the aggregate one hundred dollars during any one filing period under division (A)(1), (2), (3), or (4) of this section, the full name of the employees' employer and the full name of the labor organization of which the employees are members, if any.

(c) A description of the contribution received, if other than money;

(d) The value in dollars and cents of the contribution;

(e) A separately itemized account of all contributions and expenditures regardless of the amount, except a receipt of a contribution from a person in the sum of twenty-five dollars or less at one social or fund-raising activity and a receipt of a contribution transmitted pursuant to section 3599.031 of the Revised Code from amounts deducted from the wages and salaries of employees if the contribution from the amount deducted from the wages and salary of any one employee is twenty-five dollars or less aggregated in a calendar year. An account of the total contributions from each social or fund-raising activity shall include a description of and the value of each in-kind contribution received at that activity from any person who made one or more such contributions whose aggregate value exceeded two hundred fifty dollars and shall be listed separately, together with the expenses incurred and paid in connection with that activity. A campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or political contributing entity shall keep records of contributions from each person in the amount of twenty-five dollars or less at one social or fund-raising activity and contributions from amounts deducted under section 3599.031 of the Revised Code from the wages and salary of each employee in the amount of twenty-five dollars or less aggregated in a calendar year. No continuing association that is recognized by a state or local committee of a political party as an auxiliary of the party and that makes a contribution from funds derived solely from regular dues paid by members of the auxiliary shall be required to list the name or address of any members who paid those dues.

Contributions that are other income shall be itemized separately from all other contributions. The information required under division (B)(4) of this section shall be provided for all other income itemized. As used in this paragraph, "other income" means a loan, investment income, or interest income.

(f) In the case of a campaign committee of a state elected officer, if a person doing business with the state elected officer in the officer's official capacity makes a contribution to the campaign committee of that officer, the information required under division (B)(4) of this section in regard to that contribution, which shall be filed together with and considered a part of the committee's statement of contributions as required under division (A) of this section but shall be filed on a separate form provided by the secretary of state. As used in this division:

(i) "State elected officer" has the same meaning as in section 3517.092 of the Revised Code.

(ii) "Person doing business" means a person or an officer of an entity who enters into one or more contracts with a state elected officer or anyone authorized to enter into contracts on behalf of that officer to receive payments for goods or services, if the payments total, in the aggregate, more than five thousand dollars during a calendar year.

(5) A statement of expenditures which shall include the following information:

(a) The month, day, and year of the expenditure;

(b) The full name and address of each person, political party, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political action committee, or political contributing entity to whom the expenditure was made and the registration number assigned to the political action committee under division (D)(1) of this section;

(c) The object or purpose for which the expenditure was made;

(d) The amount of each expenditure.

(C)(1) The statement of contributions and expenditures shall be signed by the person completing the form. If a statement of contributions and expenditures is filed by electronic means of transmission pursuant to this section or section 3517.106 of the Revised Code, the electronic signature of the person who executes the statement and transmits the statement by electronic means of transmission, as provided in division (F) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code, shall be attached to or associated with the statement and 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.

(2) The person filing the statement, under penalty of election falsification, shall include with it a list of each anonymous contribution, the circumstances under which it was received, and the reason it cannot be attributed to a specific donor.

(3) Each statement of a campaign committee of a candidate who holds public office shall contain a designation of each contributor who is an employee in any unit or department under the candidate's direct supervision and control. In a space provided in the statement, the person filing the statement shall affirm that each such contribution was voluntarily made.

(4) A campaign committee that did not receive contributions or make expenditures in connection with the nomination or election of its candidate shall file a statement to that effect, on a form prescribed under this section and made under penalty of election falsification, on the date required in division (A)(2) of this section.

(5) The campaign committee of any person who attempts to become a candidate and who, for any reason, does not become certified in accordance with Title XXXV of the Revised Code for placement on the official ballot of a primary, general, or special election to be held in this state, and who, at any time prior to or after an election, receives contributions or makes expenditures, or has given consent for another to receive contributions or make expenditures, for the purpose of bringing about the person's nomination or election to public office, shall file the statement or statements prescribed by this section and a termination statement, if applicable. Division (C)(5) of this section does not apply to any person with respect to an election to the offices of member of a county or state central committee, presidential elector, or delegate to a national convention or conference of a political party.

(6)(a) The statements required to be filed under this section shall specify the balance in the hands of the campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or political contributing entity and the disposition intended to be made of that balance.

(b) The secretary of state shall prescribe the form for all statements required to be filed under this section and shall furnish the forms to the boards of elections in the several counties. The boards of elections shall supply printed copies of those forms without charge. The secretary of state shall prescribe the appropriate methodology, protocol, and data file structure for statements required or permitted to be filed by electronic means of transmission to the secretary of state or a board of elections under division (A) of this section, division (E) of section 3517.106, division (D) of section 3517.1011, division (B) of section 3517.1012, division (C) of section 3517.1013, and divisions (D) and (I) of section 3517.1014 of the Revised Code. Subject to division (A) of this section, division (E) of section 3517.106, division (D) of section 3517.1011, division (B) of section 3517.1012, division (C) of section 3517.1013, and divisions (D) and (I) of section 3517.1014 of the Revised Code, the statements required to be stored on computer by the secretary of state under division (B) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code shall be filed in whatever format the secretary of state considers necessary to enable the secretary of state to store the information contained in the statements on computer. Any such format shall be of a type and nature that is readily available to whoever is required to file the statements in that format.

(c) The secretary of state shall assess the need for training regarding the filing of campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission and regarding associated technologies for candidates, campaign committees, political action committees, legislative campaign funds, political parties, or political contributing entities, for individuals, partnerships, or other entities, for persons making disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications, or for treasurers of transition funds, required or permitted to file statements by electronic means of transmission under this section or section 3517.105, 3517.106, 3517.1011, 3517.1012, 3517.1013, or 3517.1014 of the Revised Code. If, in the opinion of the secretary of state, training in these areas is necessary, the secretary of state shall arrange for the provision of voluntary training programs for candidates, campaign committees, political action committees, legislative campaign funds, political parties, or political contributing entities, for individuals, partnerships, and other entities, for persons making disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications, or for treasurers of transition funds, as appropriate.

(7) Each monthly statement and each two-business-day statement required by division (A) of this section shall contain the information required by divisions (B)(1) to (4), (C)(2), and, if appropriate, (C)(3) of this section. Each statement shall be signed as required by division (C)(1) of this section.

(D)(1)(a) Prior to receiving a contribution or making an expenditure, every campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or political contributing entity shall appoint a treasurer and shall file, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, a designation of that appointment, including the full name and address of the treasurer and of the campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or political contributing entity. That designation shall be filed with the official with whom the campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or political contributing entity is required to file statements under section 3517.11 of the Revised Code. The name of a campaign committee shall include at least the last name of the campaign committee's candidate. If two or more candidates are the beneficiaries of a single campaign committee under division (B) of section 3517.081 of the Revised Code, the name of the campaign committee shall include at least the last name of each candidate who is a beneficiary of that campaign committee. The secretary of state shall assign a registration number to each political action committee that files a designation of the appointment of a treasurer under this division if the political action committee is required by division (A)(1) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code to file the statements prescribed by this section with the secretary of state.

(b) The secretary of state shall not accept for filing a designation of treasurer of a political action committee or political contributing entity if, in the opinion of the secretary of state, the name of the political action committee or political contributing entity would lead a reasonable person to believe that the political action committee or political contributing entity acts on behalf of or represents a county political party, unless the designation is accompanied by a written statement, signed by the chairperson of the county political party's executive committee, granting the political action committee or political contributing entity permission to act on behalf of or represent the county political party.

(2) The treasurer appointed under division (D)(1) of this section shall keep a strict account of all contributions, from whom received and the purpose for which they were disbursed.

(3)(a) Except as otherwise provided in section 3517.108 of the Revised Code, a campaign committee shall deposit all monetary contributions received by the committee into an account separate from a personal or business account of the candidate or campaign committee.

(b) A political action committee shall deposit all monetary contributions received by the committee into an account separate from all other funds.

(c) A state or county political party may establish a state candidate fund that is separate from all other funds. A state or county political party may deposit into its state candidate fund any amounts of monetary contributions that are made to or accepted by the political party subject to the applicable limitations, if any, prescribed in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code. A state or county political party shall deposit all other monetary contributions received by the party into one or more accounts that are separate from its state candidate fund.

(d) Each state political party shall have only one legislative campaign fund for each house of the general assembly. Each such fund shall be separate from any other funds or accounts of that state party. A legislative campaign fund is authorized to receive contributions and make expenditures for the primary purpose of furthering the election of candidates who are members of that political party to the house of the general assembly with which that legislative campaign fund is associated. Each legislative campaign fund shall be administered and controlled in a manner designated by the caucus. As used in this division, "caucus" has the same meaning as in section 3517.01 of the Revised Code and includes, as an ex officio member, the chairperson of the state political party with which the caucus is associated or that chairperson's designee.

(4) Every expenditure in excess of twenty-five dollars shall be vouched for by a receipted bill, stating the purpose of the expenditure, that shall be filed with the statement of expenditures. A canceled check with a notation of the purpose of the expenditure is a receipted bill for purposes of division (D)(4) of this section.

(5) The secretary of state or the board of elections, as the case may be, shall issue a receipt for each statement filed under this section and shall preserve a copy of the receipt for a period of at least six years. All statements filed under this section shall be open to public inspection in the office where they are filed and shall be carefully preserved for a period of at least six years after the year in which they are filed.

(6) The secretary of state, by rule adopted pursuant to section 3517.23 of the Revised Code, shall prescribe both of the following:

(a) The manner of immediately acknowledging, with date and time received, and preserving the receipt of statements that are transmitted by electronic means of transmission to the secretary of state or a board of elections pursuant to this section or section 3517.106, 3517.1011, 3517.1012, 3517.1013, or 3517.1014 of the Revised Code;

(b) The manner of preserving the contribution and expenditure, contribution and disbursement, deposit and disbursement, gift and disbursement, or donation and disbursement information in the statements described in division (D)(6)(a) of this section. The secretary of state shall preserve the contribution and expenditure, contribution and disbursement, deposit and disbursement, gift and disbursement, or donation and disbursement information in those statements for at least ten years after the year in which they are filed by electronic means of transmission.

(7)(a) The secretary of state, pursuant to division (G) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code, shall make available online to the public through the internet the contribution and expenditure, contribution and disbursement, deposit and disbursement, gift and disbursement, or donation and disbursement information in all of the following documents:

(i) All statements, all addenda, amendments, or other corrections to statements, and all amended statements filed with the secretary of state by electronic or other means of transmission under this section, division (B)(2)(b) or (C)(2)(b) of section 3517.105, or section 3517.106, 3517.1011, 3517.1012, 3517.1013, 3517.1014, or 3517.11 of the Revised Code;

(ii) All statements filed with a board of elections by electronic means of transmission, and all addenda, amendments, corrections, and amended versions of those statements, filed with the board under this section, division (B)(2)(b) or (C)(2)(b) of section 3517.105, or section 3517.106, 3517.1012, or 3517.11 of the Revised Code.

(b) The secretary of state may remove the information from the internet after a reasonable period of time.

(E)(1) Any person, political party, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political action committee, or political contributing entity that makes a contribution in connection with the nomination or election of any candidate or in connection with any ballot issue or question at any election held or to be held in this state shall provide its full name and address to the recipient of the contribution at the time the contribution is made. The political action committee also shall provide the registration number assigned to the committee under division (D)(1) of this section to the recipient of the contribution at the time the contribution is made.

(2) Any individual who makes a contribution that exceeds one hundred dollars to a political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or political party or to a campaign committee of a statewide candidate or candidate for the office of member of the general assembly shall provide the name of the individual's current employer, if any, or, if the individual is self-employed, the individual's occupation and the name of the individual's business, if any, to the recipient of the contribution at the time the contribution is made. Sections 3599.39 and 3599.40 of the Revised Code do not apply to division (E)(2) of this section.

(3) If a campaign committee shows that it has exercised its best efforts to obtain, maintain, and submit the information required under divisions (B)(4)(b)(ii) and (iii) of this section, that committee is considered to have met the requirements of those divisions. A campaign committee shall not be considered to have exercised its best efforts unless, in connection with written solicitations, it regularly includes a written request for the information required under division (B)(4)(b)(ii) of this section from the contributor or the information required under division (B)(4)(b)(iii) of this section from whoever transmits the contribution.

(4) Any check that a political action committee uses to make a contribution or an expenditure shall contain the full name and address of the committee and the registration number assigned to the committee under division (D)(1) of this section.

(F) As used in this section:

(1)(a) Except as otherwise provided in division (F)(1) of this section, "address" means all of the following if they exist: apartment number, street, road, or highway name and number, rural delivery route number, city or village, state, and zip code as used in a person's post-office address, but not post-office box.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in division (F)(1) of this section, if an address is required in this section, a post-office box and office, room, or suite number may be included in addition to, but not in lieu of, an apartment, street, road, or highway name and number.

(c) If an address is required in this section, a campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or political contributing entity may use the business or residence address of its treasurer or deputy treasurer. The post-office box number of the campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or political contributing entity may be used in addition to that address.

(d) For the sole purpose of a campaign committee's reporting of contributions on a statement of contributions received under division (B)(4) of this section, "address" has one of the following meanings at the option of the campaign committee:

(i) The same meaning as in division (F)(1)(a) of this section;

(ii) All of the following, if they exist: the contributor's post-office box number and city or village, state, and zip code as used in the contributor's post-office address.

(e) As used with regard to the reporting under this section of any expenditure, "address" means all of the following if they exist: apartment number, street, road, or highway name and number, rural delivery route number, city or village, state, and zip code as used in a person's post-office address, or post-office box. If an address concerning any expenditure is required in this section, a campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or political contributing entity may use the business or residence address of its treasurer or deputy treasurer or its post-office box number.

(2) "Statewide candidate" means the joint candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor or a candidate for the office of secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, member of the state board of education, chief justice of the supreme court, or justice of the supreme court.

(3) "Candidate for county office" means a candidate for the office of county auditor, county treasurer, clerk of the court of common pleas, judge of the court of common pleas, sheriff, county recorder, county engineer, county commissioner, prosecuting attorney, or coroner.

(G) An independent expenditure shall be reported whenever and in the same manner that an expenditure is required to be reported under this section and shall be reported pursuant to division (B)(2)(a) or (C)(2)(a) of section 3517.105 of the Revised Code.

(H)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (H)(2) of this section, if, during the combined pre-election and postelection reporting periods for an election, a campaign committee has received contributions of five hundred dollars or less and has made expenditures in the total amount of five hundred dollars or less, it may file a statement to that effect, under penalty of election falsification, in lieu of the statement required by division (A)(2) of this section. The statement shall indicate the total amount of contributions received and the total amount of expenditures made during those combined reporting periods.

(2) In the case of a successful candidate at a primary election, if either the total contributions received by or the total expenditures made by the candidate's campaign committee during the preprimary, postprimary, pregeneral, and postgeneral election periods combined equal more than five hundred dollars, the campaign committee may file the statement under division (H)(1) of this section only for the primary election. The first statement that the campaign committee files in regard to the general election shall reflect all contributions received and all expenditures made during the preprimary and postprimary election periods.

(3) Divisions (H)(1) and (2) of this section do not apply if a campaign committee receives contributions or makes expenditures prior to the first day of January of the year of the election at which the candidate seeks nomination or election to office or if the campaign committee does not file a termination statement with its postprimary election statement in the case of an unsuccessful primary election candidate or with its postgeneral election statement in the case of other candidates.

(I) In the case of a contribution made by a partner of a partnership or an owner or a member of another unincorporated business from any funds of the partnership or other unincorporated business, all of the following apply:

(1) The recipient of the contribution shall report the contribution by listing both the partnership or other unincorporated business and the name of the partner, owner, or member making the contribution.

(2) In reporting the contribution, the recipient of the contribution shall be entitled to conclusively rely upon the information provided by the partnership or other unincorporated business, provided that the information includes one of the following:

(a) The name of each partner, owner, or member as of the date of the contribution or contributions, and a statement that the total contributions are to be allocated equally among all of the partners, owners, or members; or

(b) The name of each partner, owner, or member as of the date of the contribution or contributions who is participating in the contribution or contributions, and a statement that the contribution or contributions are to be allocated to those individuals in accordance with the information provided by the partnership or other unincorporated business to the recipient of the contribution.

(3) For purposes of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code, the contribution shall be considered to have been made by the partner, owner, or member reported under division (I)(1) of this section.

(4) No contribution from a partner of a partnership or an owner or a member of another unincorporated business shall be accepted from any funds of the partnership or other unincorporated business unless the recipient reports the contribution under division (I)(1) of this section together with the information provided under division (I)(2) of this section.

(5) No partnership or other unincorporated business shall make a contribution or contributions solely in the name of the partnership or other unincorporated business.

(6) As used in division (I) of this section, "partnership or other unincorporated business" includes, but is not limited to, a cooperative, a sole proprietorship, a general partnership, a limited partnership, a limited partnership association, a limited liability partnership, and a limited liability company.

(J) A candidate shall have only one campaign committee at any given time for all of the offices for which the person is a candidate or holds office.

(K)(1) In addition to filing a designation of appointment of a treasurer under division (D)(1) of this section, the campaign committee of any candidate for an elected municipal office that pays an annual amount of compensation of five thousand dollars or less, the campaign committee of any candidate for member of a board of education except member of the state board of education, or the campaign committee of any candidate for township trustee or township fiscal officer may sign, under penalty of election falsification, a certificate attesting that the committee will not accept contributions during an election period that exceed in the aggregate two thousand dollars from all contributors and one hundred dollars from any one individual, and that the campaign committee will not make expenditures during an election period that exceed in the aggregate two thousand dollars.

The certificate shall be on a form prescribed by the secretary of state and shall be filed not later than ten days after the candidate files a declaration of candidacy and petition, a nominating petition, or a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate.

(2) Except as otherwise provided in division (K)(3) of this section, a campaign committee that files a certificate under division (K)(1) of this section is not required to file the statements required by division (A) of this section.

(3) If, after filing a certificate under division (K)(1) of this section, a campaign committee exceeds any of the limitations described in that division during an election period, the certificate is void and thereafter the campaign committee shall file the statements required by division (A) of this section. If the campaign committee has not previously filed a statement, then on the first statement the campaign committee is required to file under division (A) of this section after the committee's certificate is void, the committee shall report all contributions received and expenditures made from the time the candidate filed the candidate's declaration of candidacy and petition, nominating petition, or declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate.

(4) As used in division (K) of this section, "election period" means the period of time beginning on the day a person files a declaration of candidacy and petition, nominating petition, or declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate through the day of the election at which the person seeks nomination to office if the person is not elected to office, or, if the candidate was nominated in a primary election, the day of the election at which the candidate seeks office.

(L) A political contributing entity that receives contributions from the dues, membership fees, or other assessments of its members or from its officers, shareholders, and employees may report the aggregate amount of contributions received from those contributors and the number of individuals making those contributions, for each filing period under divisions (A)(1), (2), (3), and (4) of this section, rather than reporting information as required under division (B)(4) of this section, including, when applicable, the name of the current employer, if any, of a contributor whose contribution exceeds one hundred dollars or, if such a contributor is self-employed, the contributor's occupation and the name of the contributor's business, if any. Division (B)(4) of this section applies to a political contributing entity with regard to contributions it receives from all other contributors.

Last updated September 6, 2023 at 11:33 AM

Section 3517.101 | Gift to pay for office facilities.

• Effective: September 29, 2013
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 59 - 130th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Gift" means a gift, subscription, loan, advance, or deposit of money or anything of value, given to an entity described in division (C) of this section, that is specifically designated and used to defray any cost incurred on or after the effective date of this amendment for any of the following purposes, and that is not used solely for the purpose of directly influencing the election of any individual candidate in any particular election for any office:

(a) The construction, renovation, purchase, or lease of an office facility and any real property taxes associated with the facility;

(b) Furniture and fixtures to be installed in an office facility;

(c) Equipment and supplies to be used in an office facility, including telecommunications and computer hardware and software;

(d) The operating costs, maintenance, and repair of an office facility, other than personnel costs.

(2) "Address" has the meaning given in division (F) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(3) "Person" means an individual, partnership, unincorporated business organization or association, political action committee, political contributing entity, separate segregated fund, association, labor organization, corporation, or other organization or group of persons, other than a public utility as defined in section 4905.02 of the Revised Code.

(4) "Political party" means only a major political party.

(B) Any person may make a gift to an entity described in division (C) of this section if the gift is specifically designated and used to defray any cost incurred on or after the effective date of this amendment for the purposes described in division (A)(1) of this section. A gift of money shall not exceed ten thousand dollars per calendar year, as adjusted under section 3517.104 of the Revised Code. Such gift shall not be considered a contribution or expenditure prohibited by any section of the Revised Code.

(C) Any of the following entities may receive a gift under this section:

(1) A state political party;

(2) A county political party;

(3) A legislative campaign fund.

(D)(1) Each entity that receives a gift pursuant to this section shall file on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, a full, true, and itemized statement describing the gift received and how it was disbursed. The statement shall be made under penalty of election falsification and shall be filed not later than four p.m. of the last day of January of every year to reflect gifts received and disbursed during the immediately preceding calendar year.

(2) Each statement required under division (D)(1) of this section shall contain all of the following information:

(a) The full name and address of the entity filing the statement, including its treasurer;

(b) A description of each gift received, which shall include:

(i) The month, day, and year on which the gift was received;

(ii) The full name and address of each person from whom or from which the gift was received;

(iii) The nature of the gift, if other than money;

(iv) The value of the gift in dollars and cents.

Each gift received shall be itemized separately regardless of its amount or value.

(c) An itemization of how each gift was disbursed;

(d) The total value of gifts received and gifts disbursed during each reporting period;

(e) The total costs incurred for the purposes for which a gift is used.

(E)(1) All monetary gifts and all income from the lease or rental of an office facility for which a gift is used shall be deposited in an account separate from other funds and maintained in that separate account. Moneys in the account shall be used only for the purposes described in division (A)(1) of this section.

(2) When an entity described in division (C) of this section sells an office facility that was constructed, renovated, or purchased in whole or in part from monetary gifts or sells furniture, fixtures, equipment, or supplies that were purchased in whole or in part from monetary gifts, the entity shall deposit in the account under division (E)(1) of this section an amount that is the same percentage of the total proceeds of the sale as the monetary gifts were of the total cost of those goods or services. Proceeds deposited in the account shall be used only for the purposes described in division (A)(1) of this section.

(F) A state political party or a legislative campaign fund shall file a statement required under this section with the secretary of state and a county political party shall file a statement required under this section with the board of elections of the county in which the party is located.

(G)(1) No entity shall fail to file a statement required to be filed under this section.

(2) No entity shall knowingly fail to report, or shall knowingly misrepresent, a gift required to be reported on a statement required to be filed under this section.

(H) No entity shall expend or use a gift for a purpose other than the purposes described in division (A)(1) of this section.

(I) Prior to receiving any gift under this section, every entity shall appoint a treasurer and file, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, a designation of the appointment, including the full name and address of the entity. The designation shall be filed with the official with whom the entity is required to file statements under division (E) of this section. The treasurer shall keep a strict account of all gifts required to be reported under this section. The secretary of state or board of elections, as the case may be, shall, if requested, issue a receipt for each statement filed under this section and preserve a record of the filing for at least six years. All such statements shall be open to public inspection in the office where they are filed, and shall be carefully preserved for a period of at least six years after the year in which they are filed.

Section 3517.102 | Dollar limits on campaign contributions.

• Effective: October 17, 2019
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly

(A) Except as otherwise provided in section 3517.103 of the Revised Code, as used in this section and sections 3517.103 and 3517.104 of the Revised Code:

(1) "Candidate" has the same meaning as in section 3517.01 of the Revised Code but includes only candidates for the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, member of the state board of education, member of the general assembly, chief justice of the supreme court, and justice of the supreme court.

(2) "Statewide candidate" or "any one statewide candidate" means the joint candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor or a candidate for the office of secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, member of the state board of education, chief justice of the supreme court, or justice of the supreme court.

(3) "Senate candidate" means a candidate for the office of state senator.

(4) "House candidate" means a candidate for the office of state representative.

(5)(a) "Primary election period" for a candidate begins on the beginning date of the candidate's pre-filing period specified in division (A)(9) of section 3517.109 of the Revised Code and ends on the day of the primary election.

(b) In regard to any candidate, the "general election period" begins on the day after the primary election immediately preceding the general election at which the candidate seeks an office specified in division (A)(1) of this section and ends on the thirty-first day of December following that general election.

(6) "State candidate fund" means the state candidate fund established by a state or county political party under division (D)(3)(c) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(7) "Postgeneral election statement" means the statement filed under division (A)(2) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code by the campaign committee of a candidate after the general election in which the candidate ran for office or filed by legislative campaign fund after the general election in an even-numbered year.

(8) "Contribution" means any contribution that is required to be reported in the statement of contributions under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(9)(a) Except as otherwise provided in division (A)(9)(b) of this section, "designated state campaign committee" means:

(i) In the case of contributions to or from a state political party, a campaign committee of a statewide candidate, statewide officeholder, senate candidate, house candidate, or member of the general assembly.

(ii) In the case of contributions to or from a county political party, a campaign committee of a senate candidate or house candidate whose candidacy is to be submitted to some or all of the electors in that county, or member of the general assembly whose district contains all or part of that county.

(iii) In the case of contributions to or from a legislative campaign fund, a campaign committee of any of the following:

(I) A senate or house candidate who, if elected, will be a member of the same party that established the legislative campaign fund and the same house with which the legislative campaign fund is associated;

(II) A state senator or state representative who is a member of the same party that established the legislative campaign fund and the same house with which the legislative campaign fund is associated.

(b) A campaign committee is no longer a "designated state campaign committee" after the campaign committee's candidate changes the designation of treasurer required to be filed under division (D)(1) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code to indicate that the person intends to be a candidate for, or becomes a candidate for nomination or election to, any office that, if elected, would not qualify that candidate's campaign committee as a "designated state campaign committee" under division (A)(9)(a) of this section.

(B)(1)(a) No individual who is seven years of age or older shall make a contribution or contributions aggregating more than:

(i) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one statewide candidate in a primary election period or in a general election period;

(ii) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one senate candidate in a primary election period or in a general election period;

(iii) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one house candidate in a primary election period or in a general election period;

(iv) Ten thousand dollars to a county political party of the county in which the individual's designated Ohio residence is located for the party's state candidate fund in a calendar year;

(v) Fifteen thousand dollars to any one legislative campaign fund in a calendar year;

(vi) Thirty thousand dollars to any one state political party for the party's state candidate fund in a calendar year;

(vii) Ten thousand dollars to any one political action committee in a calendar year;

(viii) Ten thousand dollars to any one political contributing entity in a calendar year.

(b) No individual shall make a contribution or contributions to the state candidate fund of a county political party of any county other than the county in which the individual's designated Ohio residence is located.

(c) No individual who is under seven years of age shall make any contribution.

(2)(a) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no political action committee shall make a contribution or contributions aggregating more than:

(i) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one statewide candidate in a primary election period or in a general election period;

(ii) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one senate candidate in a primary election period or in a general election period;

(iii) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one house candidate in a primary election period or in a general election period;

(iv) Fifteen thousand dollars to any one legislative campaign fund in a calendar year;

(v) Thirty thousand dollars to any one state political party for the party's state candidate fund in a calendar year;

(vi) Ten thousand dollars to another political action committee or to a political contributing entity in a calendar year. This division does not apply to a political action committee that makes a contribution to a political action committee or a political contributing entity affiliated with it. For purposes of this division, a political action committee is affiliated with another political action committee or with a political contributing entity if they are both established, financed, maintained, or controlled by, or if they are, the same corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing association, or other person, including any parent, subsidiary, division, or department of that corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing association, or other person.

(b) No political action committee shall make a contribution or contributions to a county political party for the party's state candidate fund.

(3) No campaign committee shall make a contribution or contributions aggregating more than:

(a) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one statewide candidate in a primary election period or in a general election period;

(b) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one senate candidate in a primary election period or in a general election period;

(c) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one house candidate in a primary election period or in a general election period;

(d) Ten thousand dollars to any one political action committee in a calendar year;

(e) Ten thousand dollars to any one political contributing entity in a calendar year.

(4)(a) Subject to division (D)(3) of this section, no political party shall make a contribution or contributions aggregating more than ten thousand dollars to any one political action committee or to any one political contributing entity in a calendar year.

(b) No county political party shall make a contribution or contributions to another county political party.

(5)(a) Subject to division (B)(5)(b) of this section, no campaign committee, other than a designated state campaign committee, shall make a contribution or contributions aggregating in a calendar year more than:

(i) Thirty thousand dollars to any one state political party for the party's state candidate fund;

(ii) Fifteen thousand dollars to any one legislative campaign fund;

(iii) Ten thousand dollars to any one county political party for the party's state candidate fund.

(b) No campaign committee shall make a contribution or contributions to a county political party for the party's state candidate fund unless one of the following applies:

(i) The campaign committee's candidate will appear on a ballot in that county.

(ii) The campaign committee's candidate is the holder of an elected public office that represents all or part of the population of that county at the time the contribution is made.

(6)(a) No state candidate fund of a county political party shall make a contribution or contributions, except a contribution or contributions to a designated state campaign committee, in a primary election period or a general election period, aggregating more than:

(i) Two hundred fifty thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one statewide candidate;

(ii) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one senate candidate;

(iii) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one house candidate.

(b)(i) No state candidate fund of a state or county political party shall make a transfer or a contribution or transfers or contributions of cash or cash equivalents to a designated state campaign committee in a primary election period or in a general election period aggregating more than:

(I) Five hundred thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one statewide candidate;

(II) One hundred thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one senate candidate;

(III) Fifty thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one house candidate.

(ii) No legislative campaign fund shall make a transfer or a contribution or transfers or contributions of cash or cash equivalents to a designated state campaign committee aggregating more than:

(I) Fifty thousand dollars in a primary election period or one hundred thousand dollars in a general election period to the campaign committee of any one senate candidate;

(II) Twenty-five thousand dollars in a primary election period or fifty thousand dollars in a general election period to the campaign committee of any one house candidate.

(iii) As used in divisions (B)(6)(b) and (C)(6) of this section, "transfer or contribution of cash or cash equivalents" does not include any in-kind contributions.

(c) A county political party that has no state candidate fund and that is located in a county having a population of less than one hundred fifty thousand may make one or more contributions from other accounts to any one statewide candidate or to any one designated state campaign committee that do not exceed, in the aggregate, two thousand five hundred dollars in any primary election period or general election period.

(d) No legislative campaign fund shall make a contribution, other than to a designated state campaign committee or to the state candidate fund of a political party.

(7)(a) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no political contributing entity shall make a contribution or contributions aggregating more than:

(i) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one statewide candidate in a primary election period or in a general election period;

(ii) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one senate candidate in a primary election period or in a general election period;

(iii) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one house candidate in a primary election period or in a general election period;

(iv) Fifteen thousand dollars to any one legislative campaign fund in a calendar year;

(v) Thirty thousand dollars to any one state political party for the party's state candidate fund in a calendar year;

(vi) Ten thousand dollars to another political contributing entity or to a political action committee in a calendar year. This division does not apply to a political contributing entity that makes a contribution to a political contributing entity or a political action committee affiliated with it. For purposes of this division, a political contributing entity is affiliated with another political contributing entity or with a political action committee if they are both established, financed, maintained, or controlled by, or if they are, the same corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing association, or other person, including any parent, subsidiary, division, or department of that corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing association, or other person.

(b) No political contributing entity shall make a contribution or contributions to a county political party for the party's state candidate fund.

(C)(1)(a) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no campaign committee of a statewide candidate shall do any of the following:

(i) Knowingly accept a contribution or contributions from any individual who is under seven years of age;

(ii) Accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more than ten thousand dollars from any one individual who is seven years of age or older, from any one political action committee, from any one political contributing entity, or from any one other campaign committee in a primary election period or in a general election period;

(iii) Accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more than two hundred fifty thousand dollars from any one or combination of state candidate funds of county political parties in a primary election period or in a general election period.

(b) No campaign committee of a statewide candidate shall accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more than two thousand five hundred dollars in a primary election period or in a general election period from a county political party that has no state candidate fund and that is located in a county having a population of less than one hundred fifty thousand.

(2)(a) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section and except for a designated state campaign committee, no campaign committee of a senate candidate shall do either of the following:

(i) Knowingly accept a contribution or contributions from any individual who is under seven years of age;

(ii) Accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more than ten thousand dollars from any one individual who is seven years of age or older, from any one political action committee, from any one political contributing entity, from any one state candidate fund of a county political party, or from any one other campaign committee in a primary election period or in a general election period.

(b) No campaign committee of a senate candidate shall accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more than two thousand five hundred dollars in a primary election period or in a general election period from a county political party that has no state candidate fund and that is located in a county having a population of less than one hundred fifty thousand.

(3)(a) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section and except for a designated state campaign committee, no campaign committee of a house candidate shall do either of the following:

(i) Knowingly accept a contribution or contributions from any individual who is under seven years of age;

(ii) Accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more than ten thousand dollars from any one individual who is seven years of age or older, from any one political action committee, from any one political contributing entity, from any one state candidate fund of a county political party, or from any one other campaign committee in a primary election period or in a general election period.

(b) No campaign committee of a house candidate shall accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more than two thousand five hundred dollars in a primary election period or in a general election period from a county political party that has no state candidate fund and that is located in a county having a population of less than one hundred fifty thousand.

(4)(a)(i) Subject to division (C)(4)(a)(ii) of this section and except for a designated state campaign committee, no county political party shall knowingly accept a contribution or contributions from any individual who is under seven years of age, or accept a contribution or contributions for the party's state candidate fund aggregating more than ten thousand dollars from any one individual whose designated Ohio residence is located within that county and who is seven years of age or older or from any one campaign committee in a calendar year.

(ii) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no county political party shall accept a contribution or contributions for the party's state candidate fund from any individual whose designated Ohio residence is located outside of that county and who is seven years of age or older, from any campaign committee unless the campaign committee's candidate will appear on a ballot in that county or unless the campaign committee's candidate is the holder of an elected public office that represents all or part of the population of that county at the time the contribution is accepted, or from any political action committee or any political contributing entity.

(iii) No county political party shall accept a contribution or contributions from any other county political party.

(b) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no state political party shall do either of the following:

(i) Knowingly accept a contribution or contributions from any individual who is under seven years of age;

(ii) Accept a contribution or contributions for the party's state candidate fund aggregating more than thirty thousand dollars from any one individual who is seven years of age or older, from any one political action committee, from any one political contributing entity, or from any one campaign committee, other than a designated state campaign committee, in a calendar year.

(5) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no legislative campaign fund shall do either of the following:

(a) Knowingly accept a contribution or contributions from any individual who is under seven years of age;

(b) Accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more than fifteen thousand dollars from any one individual who is seven years of age or older, from any one political action committee, from any one political contributing entity, or from any one campaign committee, other than a designated state campaign committee, in a calendar year.

(6)(a) No designated state campaign committee shall accept a transfer or contribution of cash or cash equivalents from a state candidate fund of a state political party aggregating in a primary election period or a general election period more than:

(i) Five hundred thousand dollars, in the case of a campaign committee of a statewide candidate;

(ii) One hundred thousand dollars, in the case of a campaign committee of a senate candidate;

(iii) Fifty thousand dollars, in the case of a campaign committee of a house candidate.

(b) No designated state campaign committee shall accept a transfer or contribution of cash or cash equivalents from a legislative campaign fund aggregating more than:

(i) Fifty thousand dollars in a primary election period or one hundred thousand dollars in a general election period, in the case of a campaign committee of a senate candidate;

(ii) Twenty-five thousand dollars in a primary election period or fifty thousand dollars in a general election period, in the case of a campaign committee of a house candidate.

(c) No campaign committee of a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly, including a designated state campaign committee, shall accept a transfer or contribution of cash or cash equivalents from any one or combination of state candidate funds of county political parties aggregating in a primary election period or a general election period more than:

(i) One hundred thousand dollars, in the case of a campaign committee of a senate candidate;

(ii) Fifty thousand dollars, in the case of a campaign committee of a house candidate.

(7)(a) Subject to division (D)(3) of this section, no political action committee and no political contributing entity shall do either of the following:

(i) Knowingly accept a contribution or contributions from any individual who is under seven years of age;

(ii) Accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more than ten thousand dollars from any one individual who is seven years of age or older, from any one campaign committee, or from any one political party in a calendar year.

(b) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no political action committee shall accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more than ten thousand dollars from another political action committee or from a political contributing entity in a calendar year. Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no political contributing entity shall accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more than ten thousand dollars from another political contributing entity or from a political action committee in a calendar year. This division does not apply to a political action committee or political contributing entity that accepts a contribution from a political action committee or political contributing entity affiliated with it. For purposes of this division, a political action committee is affiliated with another political action committee or with a political contributing entity if they are both established, financed, maintained, or controlled by the same corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing association, or other person, including any parent, subsidiary, division, or department of that corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing association, or other person.

(D)(1)(a) For purposes of the limitations prescribed in division (B)(2) of this section and the limitations prescribed in divisions (C)(1), (2), (3), (4), (5), and (7)(b) of this section, whichever is applicable, all contributions made by and all contributions accepted from political action committees that are established, financed, maintained, or controlled by, or that are, the same corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing association, or other person, including any parent, subsidiary, division, or department of that corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing association, or other person, are considered to have been made by or accepted from a single political action committee.

(b) For purposes of the limitations prescribed in division (B)(7) of this section and the limitations prescribed in divisions (C)(1), (2), (3), (4), (5), and (7)(b) of this section, whichever is applicable, all contributions made by and all contributions accepted from political contributing entities that are established, financed, maintained, or controlled by, or that are, the same corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing association, or other person, including any parent, subsidiary, division, or department of that corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing association, or other person, are considered to have been made by or accepted from a single political contributing entity.

(2) As used in divisions (B)(1)(a)(vii), (B)(3)(d), (B)(4)(a), and (C)(7) of this section, "political action committee" does not include a political action committee that is organized to support or oppose a ballot issue or question and that makes no contributions to or expenditures on behalf of a political party, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political action committee, or political contributing entity. As used in divisions (B)(1)(a)(viii), (B)(3)(e), (B)(4)(a), and (C)(7) of this section, "political contributing entity" does not include a political contributing entity that is organized to support or oppose a ballot issue or question and that makes no contributions to or expenditures on behalf of a political party, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political action committee, or political contributing entity.

(3) For purposes of the limitations prescribed in divisions (B)(4) and (C)(7)(a) of this section, all contributions made by and all contributions accepted from a national political party, a state political party, and a county political party are considered to have been made by or accepted from a single political party and shall be combined with each other to determine whether the limitations have been exceeded.

(E)(1) If a legislative campaign fund has kept a total amount of contributions exceeding one hundred fifty thousand dollars at the close of business on the seventh day before the postgeneral election statement is required to be filed under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code, the legislative campaign fund shall comply with division (E)(2) of this section.

(2)(a) Any legislative campaign fund that has kept a total amount of contributions in excess of the amount specified in division (E)(1) of this section at the close of business on the seventh day before the postgeneral election statement is required to be filed under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code shall dispose of the excess amount in the manner prescribed in division (E)(2)(b)(i), (ii), or (iii) of this section not later than ninety days after the day the postgeneral election statement is required to be filed under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code. Any legislative campaign fund that is required to dispose of an excess amount of contributions under this division shall file a statement on the ninetieth day after the postgeneral election statement is required to be filed under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code indicating the total amount of contributions the fund has at the close of business on the seventh day before the postgeneral election statement is required to be filed under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code and that the excess contributions were disposed of pursuant to this division and division (E)(2)(b) of this section. The statement shall be on a form prescribed by the secretary of state and shall contain any additional information the secretary of state considers necessary.

(b) Any legislative campaign fund that is required to dispose of an excess amount of contributions under division (E)(2) of this section shall dispose of that excess amount by doing any of the following:

(i) Giving the amount to the treasurer of state for deposit into the state treasury to the credit of the Ohio elections commission fund created by division (I) of section 3517.152 of the Revised Code;

(ii) Giving the amount to individuals who made contributions to that legislative campaign fund as a refund of all or part of their contributions;

(iii) Giving the amount to a corporation that is exempt from federal income taxation under subsection 501(a) and described in subsection 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code.

(F)(1) No legislative campaign fund shall fail to file a statement required by division (E) of this section.

(2) No legislative campaign fund shall fail to dispose of excess contributions as required by division (E) of this section.

(G) Nothing in this section shall affect, be used in determining, or supersede a limitation on campaign contributions as provided for in the Federal Election Campaign Act.

Section 3517.103 | Deposit of personal funds in candidate's own campaign fund.

• Effective: September 29, 2013
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 59 - 130th General Assembly

(A) For purposes of this section:

(1) "Statewide candidate" means the joint candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor or a candidate for the office of secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, or member of the state board of education.

(2)(a) "Personal funds" means contributions to the campaign committee of a candidate by the candidate.

(b) A loan obtained by, guaranteed by, or for the benefit of a statewide candidate, senate candidate, or house candidate shall be considered "personal funds" subject to the provisions of this section to the extent that the loan is obtained or guaranteed by the candidate. A loan that is obtained or guaranteed and that is for the benefit of a statewide candidate, senate candidate, or house candidate shall not be considered "personal funds" for the purposes of this section but shall be considered to be a "contribution" for the purposes of this chapter if the loan is obtained or guaranteed by anyone other than the candidate.

(c) When a debt or other obligation incurred by a committee or by a candidate on behalf of the candidate's committee is to be paid from "personal funds," those funds are considered to be expended when the debt or other obligation is incurred, regardless of when it is paid.

(B)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (B)(2) of this section, no statewide candidate or candidate for the office of member of the general assembly shall make an expenditure of personal funds to influence the results of an election for that candidate's nomination or election to office unless the personal funds are first deposited into the campaign fund of that candidate's campaign committee.

(2) A statewide candidate or candidate for the office of member of the general assembly may make an expenditure of personal funds without first depositing those funds into the campaign committee's funds as long as the aggregate total of those expenditures does not exceed five hundred dollars at any time during an election period. After the candidate's campaign committee reimburses the candidate for any direct expenditure of personal funds, the amount that was reimbursed is no longer included in the aggregate total of expenditures of personal funds subject to the five-hundred-dollar limit.

Section 3517.104 | Contribution limitations adjustments.

• Effective: September 29, 2013
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 59 - 130th General Assembly

(A) In January of each odd-numbered year, the secretary of state, in accordance with this division and division (B) of this section, shall adjust each amount specified in section 3517.102, in division (B)(4)(e) of section 3517.10, and in division (B) of section 3517.101 of the Revised Code. The adjustment shall be based on the yearly average of the previous two years of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers or its successive equivalent, as determined by the United States department of labor, bureau of labor statistics, or its successor in responsibility, for all items, Series A. Using the 1996 yearly average as the base year, the secretary of state shall compare the most current average consumer price index with that determined in the preceding odd-numbered year, and shall determine the percentage increase or decrease. The percentage increase or decrease shall be multiplied by the actual dollar figure for each office or entity specified in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code and by each actual dollar figure specified in division (B)(4)(e) of section 3517.10 and in division (B) of section 3517.101 of the Revised Code as determined in the previous odd-numbered year, and the product shall be added to or subtracted from its corresponding actual dollar figure, as necessary, for that previous odd-numbered year.

The resulting amount shall be rounded to the nearest twenty-five dollars if the calculations are made regarding the amounts specified in division (B)(4)(e) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

If the calculations are made regarding the amounts specified in section 3517.101 or 3517.102 of the Revised Code, the resulting amount shall not be rounded. If that resulting amount is less than one hundred dollars, the secretary of state shall retain a record of the resulting amount and the manner in which it was calculated, but shall not make an adjustment unless the resulting amount, when added to the resulting amount calculated in each prior odd-numbered year since the last adjustment was made, equals or exceeds one hundred dollars.

(B)(1) The secretary of state shall calculate the adjustment under division (A) of this section and shall report the calculations and necessary materials to the auditor of state, on or before the thirty-first day of January of each odd-numbered year. The secretary of state shall base the adjustment on the most current consumer price index that is described in division (A) of this section and that is in effect as of the first day of January of each odd-numbered year.

(2) The calculations made by the secretary of state under divisions (A) and (B)(1) of this section shall be certified by the auditor of state on or before the fifteenth day of February of each odd-numbered year.

(3) On or before the twenty-fifth day of February of each odd-numbered year, the secretary of state shall prepare a report setting forth the maximum contribution limitations under section 3517.102 of the Revised Code, the maximum amounts, if any, of contributions permitted to be kept under that section, the amounts required under division (B)(4)(e) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code for reporting contributions and in-kind contributions at social or fund-raising activities and contributions from amounts deducted from an employee's wages and salary, and the maximum office facility gift limitations under section 3517.101 of the Revised Code, as calculated and certified pursuant to divisions (A) and (B)(1) and (2) of this section. The report and all documents relating to the calculations contained in the report are public records. The report shall contain an indication of the period in which the limitations, the maximum contribution or gift amounts, and the reporting amounts apply, a summary of how the limitations, the maximum contribution or gift amounts, and the reporting amounts were calculated, and a statement that the report and all related documents are available for inspection and copying at the office of the secretary of state.

(4) On or before the twenty-fifth day of February of each odd-numbered year, the secretary of state shall transmit the report to the general assembly and shall send the report by mail to the board of elections of each county.

(5) The secretary of state shall send the report by mail to each person who files a declaration of candidacy or nominating petition with the secretary of state for the office of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, member of the state board of education, chief justice of the supreme court, or justice of the supreme court. The report shall be mailed on or before the tenth day after the filing.

(6) A board of elections shall send the report by mail to each person who files a declaration of candidacy or nominating petition with the board for the office of state representative or state senator. The report shall be mailed on or before the tenth day after the filing.

Section 3517.105 | Identification of source of political advertising.

• Effective: January 1, 2021
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 107 - 133rd General Assembly

(A)(1) As used in this section, "public political advertising" means advertising to the general public through a broadcasting station, newspaper, magazine, poster, yard sign, or outdoor advertising facility, by direct mail, or by any other means of advertising to the general public.

(2) For purposes of this section and section 3517.20 of the Revised Code, a person is a member of a political action committee if the person makes one or more contributions to that political action committee, and a person is a member of a political contributing entity if the person makes one or more contributions to, or pays dues, membership fees, or other assessments to, that political contributing entity.

(B)(1) Whenever a candidate, a campaign committee, a political action committee or political contributing entity with ten or more members, or a legislative campaign fund makes an independent expenditure, or whenever a political action committee or political contributing entity with fewer than ten members makes an independent expenditure in excess of one hundred dollars for a local candidate, in excess of two hundred fifty dollars for a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly, or in excess of five hundred dollars for a statewide candidate, for the purpose of financing communications advocating the election or defeat of an identified candidate or solicits without the candidate's express consent a contribution for or against an identified candidate through public political advertising, a statement shall appear or be presented in a clear and conspicuous manner in the advertising that does both of the following:

(a) Clearly indicates that the communication or public political advertising is not authorized by the candidate or the candidate's campaign committee;

(b) Clearly identifies the candidate, campaign committee, political action committee, political contributing entity, or legislative campaign fund that has paid for the communication or public political advertising in accordance with section 3517.20 of the Revised Code.

(2)(a) Whenever any campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political action committee, political contributing entity, or political party makes an independent expenditure in support of or opposition to any candidate, the committee, entity, fund, or party shall report the independent expenditure and identify the candidate on a statement prescribed by the secretary of state and filed by the committee, entity, fund, or party as part of its statement of contributions and expenditures pursuant to division (A) of section 3517.10 and division (A) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code.

(b) Whenever any individual, partnership, or other entity, except a corporation, labor organization, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political action committee, political contributing entity, or political party, makes one or more independent expenditures in support of or opposition to any candidate, the individual, partnership, or other entity shall file with the secretary of state in the case of a statewide candidate, or with the board of elections in the county in which the candidate files the candidate's petitions for nomination or election for district or local office, not later than the dates specified in divisions (A)(1), (2), (3), and (4) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code, and, except as otherwise provided in that section, a statement itemizing all independent expenditures made during the period since the close of business on the last day reflected in the last previously filed such statement, if any. The statement shall be made on a form prescribed by the secretary of state or shall be filed by electronic means of transmission pursuant to division (E) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code as authorized or required by that division. The statement shall indicate the date and the amount of each independent expenditure and the candidate on whose behalf it was made and shall be made under penalty of election falsification.

(C)(1) Whenever a corporation, labor organization, campaign committee, political action committee with ten or more members, or legislative campaign fund makes an independent expenditure, or whenever a political action committee with fewer than ten members makes an independent expenditure in excess of one hundred dollars for a local ballot issue or question, or in excess of five hundred dollars for a statewide ballot issue or question, for the purpose of financing communications advocating support of or opposition to an identified ballot issue or question or solicits without the express consent of the ballot issue committee a contribution for or against an identified ballot issue or question through public political advertising, a statement shall appear or be presented in a clear and conspicuous manner in the advertising that does both of the following:

(a) Clearly indicates that the communication or public political advertising is not authorized by the identified ballot issue committee;

(b) Clearly identifies the corporation, labor organization, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, or political action committee that has paid for the communication or public political advertising in accordance with section 3517.20 of the Revised Code.

(2)(a) Whenever any corporation, labor organization, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or political action committee makes an independent expenditure in support of or opposition to any ballot issue or question, the corporation or labor organization shall report the independent expenditure in accordance with division (C) of section 3599.03 of the Revised Code, and the campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or political action committee shall report the independent expenditure and identify the ballot issue or question on a statement prescribed by the secretary of state and filed by the committee, fund, or party as part of its statement of contributions and expenditures pursuant to division (A) of section 3517.10 and division (A) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code.

(b) Whenever any individual, partnership, or other entity, except a corporation, labor organization, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political action committee, or political party, makes one or more independent expenditures in excess of one hundred dollars in support of or opposition to any ballot issue or question, the individual, partnership, or other entity shall file with the secretary of state in the case of a statewide ballot issue or question, or with the board of elections in the county that certifies the issue or question for placement on the ballot in the case of a district or local issue or question, not later than the dates specified in divisions (A)(1), (2), (3), and (4) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code, and, except as otherwise provided in that section, a statement itemizing all independent expenditures made during the period since the close of business on the last day reflected in the last previously filed such statement, if any. The statement shall be made on a form prescribed by the secretary of state or shall be filed by electronic means of transmission pursuant to division (E) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code as authorized or required by that division. The statement shall indicate the date and the amount of each independent expenditure and the ballot issue or question in support of or opposition to which it was made and shall be made under penalty of election falsification.

(3) No person, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political action committee, corporation, labor organization, or other organization or association shall use or cause to be used a false or fictitious name in making an independent expenditure in support of or opposition to any candidate or any ballot issue or question. A name is false or fictitious if the person, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political action committee, corporation, labor organization, or other organization or association does not actually exist or operate, if the corporation, labor organization, or other organization or association has failed to file a fictitious name or other registration with the secretary of state, if it is required to do so, or if the person, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, or political action committee has failed to file a designation of the appointment of a treasurer, if it is required to do so by division (D)(1) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(D) Any expenditure by a political party for the purpose of financing communications advocating the election or defeat of a candidate for judicial office shall be deemed to be an independent expenditure subject to the provisions of this section.

Section 3517.106 | Statements of contributions and expenditures computerized by secretary of state.

• Effective: January 1, 2021
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 107 - 133rd General Assembly

(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) The secretary of state shall store all of the following information on computer:

(1) 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 with the secretary of state and the information transmitted to the secretary of state by boards of elections under division (E)(2) of this section;

(2) The information contained in disclosure of electioneering communications statements required to be filed under section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code;

(3) 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 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 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 that are permitted or required to file statements by electronic means of transmission, 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 (J) 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 (F)(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, each of the following entities shall be permitted or required to file statements by electronic means of transmission, as applicable:

(a) 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.

(b) 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.

(c) A campaign committee of a candidate for an office other than a statewide office, the office of member of the general assembly, or the office of judge of a court of appeals may file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code by electronic means of transmission to the secretary of state or the board of elections, as applicable.

(d) A political action committee and a political contributing entity described in division (A)(1) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, 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 to the office of the secretary of state 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.

(e) 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.

(f) A county political party may file all other statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code by electronic means of transmission to the board of elections.

(g) A political action committee or political contributing entity described in division (A)(3) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code may file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code by electronic means of transmission to the board of elections.

(h) 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 to the office of the secretary of state 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.

(i) Any individual, partnership, or other entity that makes independent expenditures in support of or opposition to a candidate or ballot issue other than a statewide candidate or a statewide ballot issue 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 to the board of elections.

(2) A board of elections that receives a statement by electronic means of transmission shall transmit that statement to the secretary of state within five business days after receiving the statement. If the board receives an addendum or an amended statement from an entity that filed a statement with the board by electronic means of transmission, the board shall transmit the addendum or amended statement to the secretary of state not later than the close of business on the day the board received the addendum or amended statement.

(3)(a) Except as otherwise provided in division (E)(3)(b) of this section, within five business days after a statement filed under division (E)(1) of this section 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 (G) of this section, the contribution and expenditure information in that statement.

(b) 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.

(4)(a) 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 entity that filed the statement 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 under that division, an amended statement.

(b) Within five business days after the secretary of state receives an addendum to the statement or an amended statement by electronic or other means of transmission, 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 (G) of this section.

(5) If a campaign committee 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 files a statement, addendum, or amended statement by printed version only with the appropriate board of elections, the campaign committee 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.

(F)(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 to the secretary of state or a board of elections 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 (F)(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.

(G) The secretary of state shall make all of the following information available online to the public by any means that are searchable, viewable, and accessible through the internet:

(1) 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;

(2) The contribution and expenditure or the deposit and disbursement information in all statements that are filed with a board of elections by electronic means of transmission, and in all addenda to those statements and all amended versions of those statements, under this section or section 3517.10, 3517.105, 3517.1012, or 3517.11 of the Revised Code.

(H)(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 (G) 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 (F)(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.

(I) 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 (I)(2) of this section.

(J)(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) 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 (G) of this section.

(c) The secretary of state shall arrange for the information in campaign finance statements filed pursuant to division (J) 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) and (G) 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 (J) 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 (J) 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 (J)(1)(d) of this section subsequently fails to file that statement on paper by the applicable deadline established in rules adopted under division (J)(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 (J)(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 (J)(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.

Section 3517.107 | Federal political committee registration.

• Effective: August 15, 2012
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 295 - 129th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section, "federal political committee" means a political committee, as defined in the Federal Election Campaign Act, that is registered with the federal election commission under that act.

(B) Any federal political committee may make contributions, expenditures, or independent expenditures from its federal account in connection with any state or local election in Ohio. Prior to making any such contribution, expenditure, or independent expenditure, the federal political committee shall register with the secretary of state by filing a copy of its most recent federal statement of organization. A federal political committee registered with the secretary of state under this division shall file with the secretary of state any amendment to its statement of organization that is required under the Federal Election Campaign Act to be reported to the federal election commission.

(C) When, during any federal reporting period under the Federal Election Campaign Act, a federal political committee makes a contribution, expenditure, or independent expenditure from its federal account in connection with a state or local election in Ohio, the committee shall file with the secretary of state not later than the date on which its report is required to be filed with the appropriate federal office or officer under the Federal Election Campaign Act, copies of the following pages from that report:

(1) The summary page;

(2) The detailed summary page;

(3) The page or pages that contain an itemized list of the contributions, expenditures, and independent expenditures made in connection with state and local elections in Ohio.

The total amount of contributions, expenditures, and independent expenditures made in connection with state and local elections in Ohio shall be reflected on the summary page or on a form that the secretary of state shall prescribe.

(D) When, during any calendar year, a federal political committee makes a contribution from its federal account in connection with a state or local election in Ohio to a state or local political action committee that is required under section 3517.11 of the Revised Code to file any statement prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code, and the federal political committee and state or local political action committee are established, financed, maintained, or controlled by the same corporation, organization, continuing association, or other person, including any parent, subsidiary, division, department, or unit of that corporation, organization, continuing association, or other person, the federal political committee shall file a statement with the secretary of state not later than the last business day of January of the next calendar year. The statement shall be on a form prescribed by the secretary of state and shall include a list of the names and addresses of contributors that are residents of Ohio that made contributions to the federal political committee during the calendar year covered by the statement and, for each name listed, the aggregate total amount contributed by each contributor during the reporting period.

Section 3517.108 | Additional contributions for unpaid debt.

• Effective: April 26, 2005
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 115 - 126th General Assembly

(A) As used in divisions (A) and (B) of this section:

(1) "Candidate" has the same meaning as in section 3517.01 of the Revised Code but includes only candidates for the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, member of the state board of education, member of the general assembly, chief justice of the supreme court, and justice of the supreme court.

(2) A "general election period" begins on the day after the primary election immediately preceding the general election at which a candidate seeks an office specified in division (A)(1) of this section and ends on the thirty-first day of December following that general election.

(3) A "primary election period" begins on the first day of January of the year following the year in which the general election was held for the office that the candidate seeks, including any mid-term election, and ends on the day of the primary election.

(B) Whenever the campaign committee of a candidate has unpaid debt at the end of a primary election period or at the end of a general election period, the committee may accept additional contributions during the immediately following election period up to the applicable limitation prescribed under section 3517.102 of the Revised Code from any individual, political action committee, political contributing entity, or other campaign committee who, during the primary or general election period for which debt remains unpaid, has contributed less than the contribution limitations prescribed under section 3517.102 of the Revised Code applicable to that individual, political action committee, political contributing entity, or other campaign committee. Any additional contribution that a campaign committee accepts under this division shall count toward the applicable limitations prescribed under section 3517.102 of the Revised Code for that primary or general election period at the end of which the debt remains unpaid, and shall not count toward the applicable limitations for any other primary or general election period if all of the following conditions apply:

(1) The campaign committee reports, on the statement required to be filed under division (A)(2) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code, all debt remaining unpaid at the end of the election period. The committee shall also file a separate statement, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, at the same time that the committee is required to file a statement of contributions and expenditures under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code. The separate statement shall include the name and address of each contributor who makes an additional contribution under division (B) of this section, how the contribution was applied to pay the unpaid debt as required by division (B)(3) of this section, and the balance of the unpaid debt after each contribution was applied to it.

(2) The additional contributions are accepted only during the primary or general election period, whichever is applicable, immediately following the election period covered in the statement filed under division (B)(1) of this section.

(3) All additional contributions made under division (B) of this section are used by the campaign committee that receives them only to pay the debt of the committee reported under division (B)(1) of this section.

(4) The campaign committee maintains a separate account for all additional contributions made under division (B) of this section and uses moneys in that account only to pay the unpaid debt reported under division (B)(1) of this section and to administer the account.

(5) The campaign committee stops accepting additional contributions after funds sufficient to repay the unpaid debt reported under division (B)(1) of this section have been raised and promptly disposes of any contributions received that exceed the amount of the unpaid debt by returning the excess contributions to the contributors or by giving the excess contributions to an organization that is exempt from federal income taxation under subsection 501(a) and described in subsection 501(c)(3), (4), (8), (10), or (19) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Section 3517.109 | Disposal of any excess funds and excess aggregate contributions.

• Effective: April 26, 2005
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 115 - 126th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Candidate" has the same meaning as in section 3517.01 of the Revised Code but includes only candidates for the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, member of the state board of education, and member of the general assembly.

(2) "Statewide candidate" means the joint candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor or a candidate for the office of secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, and member of the state board of education.

(3) "Senate candidate" means a candidate for the office of state senator.

(4) "House candidate" means a candidate for the office of state representative.

(5) "State office" means the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, member of the state board of education, and member of the general assembly.

(6) "Aggregate contribution" means the total of all contributions from a contributor during the pre-filing period.

(7) "Allowable aggregate contribution" means all of the following:

(a) In the case of a contribution from a contributor whose contributions are subject to the contribution limits described in division (B)(1), (2), (3), (6)(a), or (7) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code, that portion of the amount of the contributor's aggregate contribution that does not exceed the preprimary contribution limit applicable to that contributor.

(b) In the case of a contribution or contributions from a contributor whose contributions are not subject to the contribution limits described in divisions (B)(1), (2), (3), (6)(a), or (7) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code, the total of the following:

(i) That portion of the aggregate contribution that was received as in-kind services;

(ii) That portion of the aggregate contribution that was received as cash and does not exceed the applicable preprimary cash transfer or contribution limits described in division (B)(6)(b) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code.

(8) "Excess aggregate contribution" means, for each contributor, the amount by which that contributor's aggregate contribution exceeds that contributor's allowable aggregate contribution.

(9) "Pre-filing period" means the period of time ending on the day that the candidacy petitions are due for the state office for which the candidate has filed and beginning on the latest date of the following:

(a) The first day of January of the year following the general election in which that state office was last on the ballot;

(b) The first day of January of the year following the general election in which the candidate was last a candidate for any office;

(c) The first day of the month following the primary election in which the candidate was last a candidate for any office.

(10) "Filing date" means the last date on which a candidacy petition may be filed for an office.

(11) "Applicable carry-in limit" means thirty-five thousand dollars if the candidate is a house candidate or a candidate for the state board of education, one hundred thousand dollars if the candidate is a senate candidate, and two hundred thousand dollars if the candidate is a statewide candidate other than a candidate for the state board of education.

(12) "Campaign asset" means prepaid, purchased, or donated assets available to the candidate on the date of the filing deadline for the office the candidate is seeking that will be consumed or depleted in the course of the candidate's election campaign, including, but not limited to, postage, prepaid rent for campaign headquarters, prepaid radio, television, and newspaper advertising, and other prepaid consulting and personal services.

(13) "Permitted funds" means the sum of the following:

(a) The total of the allowable aggregate contribution of each contributor;

(b) The applicable carry-in limit.

(14) "Excess funds" means the amount by which the sum of the total cash on hand and total reported campaign assets exceeds permitted funds.

(15) "Covered candidate" means both of the following:

(a) A candidate who, during the pre-filing period, accepts or has a campaign committee that accepts contributions on the candidate's behalf for the purpose of nominating or electing the candidate to any office not subject to the contribution limits prescribed in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code;

(b) A person who, during the pre-filing period, accepts or has a campaign committee that accepts contributions on the person's behalf prior to the person deciding upon or announcing the office for which the person will become a candidate for nomination or election.

(B) Each candidate who files for state office, not later than the filing date for that office, shall dispose of any excess funds. Each covered candidate who files for state office, not later than the filing date for that office, shall dispose of any excess aggregate contributions.

(C) Any campaign committee that is required to dispose of excess funds or excess aggregate contributions under division (B) of this section shall dispose of that excess amount or amounts by doing any of the following:

(1) Giving the amount to the treasurer of state for deposit into the state treasury to the credit of the Ohio elections commission fund created by division (I) of section 3517.152 of the Revised Code;

(2) Giving the amount to individuals who made contributions to that campaign committee as a refund of all or part of their contributions;

(3) Giving the amount to a corporation that is exempt from federal income taxation under subsection 501(a) and described in subsection 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code.

(D)(1) Subject to division (D)(2) of this section, no candidate or covered candidate shall appear on the ballot, even if certified to appear on the ballot, unless the candidate's or covered candidate's campaign committee has disposed of excess funds, excess aggregate contributions, or both as required by divisions (B) and (C) of this section.

(2) If the excess aggregate contributions accepted by a covered candidate or a covered candidate's campaign committee aggregate a total of less than five thousand dollars from all contributors, that candidate shall not be prohibited from appearing on the ballot under division (D)(1) of this section.

(E)(1) The campaign committee of each candidate required to dispose of excess funds under this section shall file a report, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, with the official or board with which the candidate is required to file statements under section 3517.11 of the Revised Code. The report shall be filed by the seventh day following the filing deadline for the office the candidate is seeking, shall indicate the amount of excess funds disposed of, and shall describe the manner in which the campaign committee disposed of the excess amount.

(2) In addition to the information required to be included in a report filed under division (E)(1) of this section, the campaign committee of each covered candidate required to dispose of excess aggregate contributions under this section shall include in that report the source and amount of each excess aggregate contribution disposed of and shall describe the manner in which the campaign committee disposed of the excess amount.

(F)(1) Each campaign committee of a candidate who has filed a declaration of candidacy or a nominating petition for a state office, not later than seven days after the filing date for the office the candidate is seeking, shall file a declaration of filing-day finances, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, with the official or board with which the candidate is required to file statements under section 3517.11 of the Revised Code.

(2) A declaration of filing-day finances shall list all of the following:

(a) The amount of cash on hand in the candidate's campaign fund on the filing date for the office the candidate is seeking.

(b) The value and description of all campaign assets worth five hundred dollars or more available to the candidate on the filing date. Assets purchased by the campaign shall be valued at actual cost, and in-kind contributions shall be valued at market value.

(c) The total of all aggregate contributions;

(d) The total of all allowable aggregate contributions;

(e) The applicable carry-in limit, if any.

(3) In addition to the information required to be included in a report of filing-day finances filed under division (F)(1) of this section, the campaign committee of each covered candidate shall include both of the following in that report:

(a) The total of all excess aggregate contributions;

(b) For each contributor, if any, for whom there is an excess aggregate contribution, the name, address, aggregate contribution, and excess aggregate contribution.

(G) A campaign committee of a candidate is not required to file a declaration of filing-day finances under division (F) of this section if all of the following apply:

(1) The campaign committee has not accepted, during the pre-filing period, any aggregate contribution greater than the applicable amount.

(2) The campaign committee had less than the carry-in amount in cash on hand at the beginning of the pre-filing period.

(3) The candidate files a declaration, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, with the official or board with which the candidate is required to file statements under section 3517.11 of the Revised Code not later than seven days after the filing date for the office that candidate is seeking, stating that the candidate's campaign committee has not accepted aggregate contributions as described in division (G)(1) of this section and has less than the carry-in amount in cash on hand as described in division (G)(2) of this section.

Section 3517.1011 | Notices and disclosures regarding electioneering communications.

• Effective: January 1, 2021
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 107 - 133rd General Assembly

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Address" has the same meaning as in section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(2) "Broadcast, cable, or satellite communication" means a communication that is publicly distributed by a television station, radio station, cable television system, or satellite system.

(3) "Candidate" has the same meaning as in section 3501.01 of the Revised Code.

(4) "Contribution" means any loan, gift, deposit, forgiveness of indebtedness, donation, advance, payment, or transfer of funds or of anything of value, including a transfer of funds from an inter vivos or testamentary trust or decedent's estate, and the payment by any person other than the person to whom the services are rendered for the personal services of another person, that is made, received, or used to pay the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications.

(5)(a) "Coordinated electioneering communication" means any electioneering communication that is made pursuant to any arrangement, coordination, or direction by a candidate or a candidate's campaign committee, by an officer, agent, employee, or consultant of a candidate or a candidate's campaign committee, or by a former officer, former agent, former employee, or former consultant of a candidate or a candidate's campaign committee prior to the airing, broadcasting, or cablecasting of the communication. An electioneering communication is presumed to be a "coordinated electioneering communication" when it is either of the following:

(i) Based on information about a candidate's plans, projects, or needs provided to the person making the disbursement by the candidate or the candidate's campaign committee, by an officer, agent, employee, or consultant of the candidate or the candidate's campaign committee, or by a former officer, former agent, former employee, or former consultant of the candidate or the candidate's campaign committee, with a view toward having the communication made;

(ii) Made by or through any person who is, or has been, authorized to raise or expend funds on behalf of a candidate or the candidate's campaign committee, who is, or has been, an officer, agent, employee, or consultant of the candidate or of the candidate's campaign committee, or who is, or has been, receiving any form of compensation or reimbursement from the candidate or the candidate's campaign committee or from an officer, agent, employee, or consultant of the candidate or of the candidate's campaign committee.

(b) An electioneering communication shall not be presumed to be a "coordinated electioneering communication" under division (A)(5)(a)(ii) of this section if the communication is made through any person who provides a service that does not affect the content of the communication, such as communications placed through the efforts of a media buyer, unless that person also affects the content of the communication.

(6) "Disclosure date" means both of the following:

(a) The first date during any calendar year by which a person makes disbursements for the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications aggregating in excess of ten thousand dollars;

(b) The same day of the week of each remaining week in the same calendar year as the day of the week of the initial disclosure date established under division (A)(6)(a) of this section, if, during that remaining week, the person makes disbursements for the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications aggregating in excess of one dollar.

(7)(a) "Electioneering communication" means any broadcast, cable, or satellite communication that refers to a clearly identified candidate and that is made during either of the following periods of time:

(i) If the person becomes a candidate before the day of the primary election at which candidates will be nominated for election to that office, between the date that the person becomes a candidate and the thirtieth day prior to that primary election, and between the date of the primary election and the thirtieth day prior to the general election at which a candidate will be elected to that office;

(ii) If the person becomes a candidate after the day of the primary election at which candidates were nominated for election to that office, between the date of the primary election and the thirtieth day prior to the general election at which a candidate will be elected to that office.

(b) "Electioneering communication" does not include any of the following:

(i) A communication that is publicly disseminated through a means of communication other than a broadcast, cable, or satellite television or radio station. For example, "electioneering communication" does not include communications appearing in print media, including a newspaper or magazine, handbill, brochure, bumper sticker, yard sign, poster, billboard, and other written materials, including mailings; communications over the internet, including electronic mail; or telephone communications.

(ii) A communication that appears in a news story, commentary, public service announcement, bona fide news programming, or editorial distributed through the facilities of any broadcast, cable, or satellite television or radio station, unless those facilities are owned or controlled by any political party, political committee, or candidate;

(iii) A communication that constitutes an expenditure or an independent expenditure under section 3517.01 of the Revised Code;

(iv) A communication that constitutes a candidate debate or forum or that solely promotes a candidate debate or forum and is made by or on behalf of the person sponsoring the debate or forum.

(8) "Filing date" has the same meaning as in section 3517.109 of the Revised Code.

(9) "Immigration and Nationality Act" means the Immigration and Nationality Act, 110 Stat. 309 (1996), 8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq., as amended.

(10) "Person" has the same meaning as in section 1.59 of the Revised Code and includes any political organization considered exempt from income taxation under section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code.

(11) "Political committee" means any of the following:

(a) Any committee, club, association, or other group of persons that receives contributions aggregating in excess of one thousand dollars during a calendar year or that makes expenditures aggregating in excess of one thousand dollars during a calendar year;

(b) Any separate segregated fund;

(c) Any state, county, or local committee of a political party that does any of the following:

(i) Receives contributions aggregating in excess of five thousand dollars during a calendar year;

(ii) Makes payments that do not constitute contributions or expenditures aggregating in excess of five thousand dollars during a calendar year;

(iii) Makes contributions or expenditures aggregating in excess of one thousand dollars during a calendar year.

(12) "Publicly distributed" means aired, broadcast, cablecast, or otherwise disseminated for a fee.

(13) "Refers to a clearly identified candidate" means that the candidate's name, nickname, photograph, or drawing appears, or the identity of the candidate is otherwise apparent through an unambiguous reference to the person such as "the chief justice," "the governor," "member of the Ohio senate," "member of the Ohio house of representatives," "county auditor," "mayor," or "township trustee" or through an unambiguous reference to the person's status as a candidate.

(B) For the purposes of this section, a person shall be considered to have made a disbursement if the person has entered into a contract to make the disbursement.

(C) Any person intending to make a disbursement or disbursements for the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications, prior to making the first disbursement for the direct costs of producing or airing an electioneering communication, shall file a notice with the office of the secretary of state that the person is intending to make such disbursements.

(D)(1) Every person that makes a disbursement or disbursements for the direct costs of producing and airing electioneering communications aggregating in excess of ten thousand dollars during any calendar year shall file, within twenty-four hours of each disclosure date, a disclosure of electioneering communications statement containing the following information:

(a) The full name and address of the person making the disbursement, of any person sharing or exercising direction or control over the activities of the person making the disbursement, and of the custodian of the books and accounts of the person making the disbursement;

(b) The principal place of business of the person making the disbursement, if not an individual;

(c) The amount of each disbursement of more than one dollar during the period covered by the statement and the identity of the person to whom the disbursement was made;

(d) The nominations or elections to which the electioneering communications pertain and the names, if known, of the candidates identified or to be identified;

(e) If the disbursements were paid out of a segregated bank account that consists of funds contributed solely by individuals who are United States citizens or nationals or lawfully admitted for permanent residence as defined in section 101(a)(20) of the Immigration and Nationality Act directly to the account for electioneering communications, the information specified in division (D)(2) of this section for all contributors who contributed an aggregate amount of two hundred dollars or more to the segregated bank account and whose contributions were used for making the disbursement or disbursements required to be reported under division (D) of this section during the period covered by the statement. Nothing in this division prohibits or shall be construed to prohibit the use of funds in such a segregated bank account for a purpose other than electioneering communications.

(f) If the disbursements were paid out of funds not described in division (D)(1)(e) of this section, the information specified in division (D)(2) of this section for all contributors who contributed an aggregate amount of two hundred dollars or more to the person making the disbursement and whose contributions were used for making the disbursement or disbursements required to be reported under division (D) of this section during the period covered by the statement.

(2) For each contributor for which information is required to be reported under division (D)(1)(e) or (f) of this section, all of the following shall be reported:

(a) The month, day, and year that the contributor made the contribution or contributions aggregating two hundred dollars or more;

(b)(i) The full name and address of the contributor, and, if the contributor is a political action committee, the registration number assigned to the political action committee under division (D)(1) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code;

(ii) If the contributor is an individual, the name of the individual's current employer, if any, or, if the individual is self-employed, the individual's occupation and the name of the individual's business, if any;

(iii) If the contribution is transmitted pursuant to section 3599.031 of the Revised Code from amounts deducted from the wages and salaries of two or more employees that exceed in the aggregate one hundred dollars during the period specified in division (D)(1)(e) or (f) of this section, as applicable, the full name of the employees' employer and the full name of the labor organization of which the employees are members, if any.

(c) A description of the contribution, if other than money;

(d) The value in dollars and cents of the contribution.

(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 divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 and division (F)(1) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission, a person shall file the disclosure of electioneering communications statement prescribed under divisions (D)(1) and (2) of this section by electronic means of transmission to the office of the secretary of state.

Within five business days after the secretary of state receives a disclosure of electioneering communications statement under this division, the secretary of state shall make available online to the public through the internet, as provided in division (G) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code, the contribution and disbursement information in that statement.

If a filed disclosure of electioneering communications statement is found to be incomplete or inaccurate after its examination for completeness and accuracy pursuant to division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the person shall file by electronic means of transmission to the office of the secretary of state any addendum, amendment, or other correction 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 an addendum, amendment, or other correction to a disclosure of electioneering communications 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 disbursement information in the addendum, amendment, or other correction to the statement or amended statement available online to the public through the internet as provided in division (G) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code.

(E)(1) Any person who makes a contribution for the purpose of funding the direct costs of producing or airing an electioneering communication under this section shall provide the person's full name and address to the recipient of the contribution at the time the contribution is made.

(2) Any individual who makes a contribution or contributions aggregating two hundred dollars or more for the purpose of funding the direct costs of producing or airing an electioneering communication under this section shall provide the name of the individual's current employer, if any, or, if the individual is self-employed, the individual's occupation and the name of the individual's business, if any, to the recipient of the contribution at the time the contribution is made.

(F) In each electioneering communication, a statement shall appear or be presented in a clear and conspicuous manner that does both of the following:

(1) Clearly indicates that the electioneering communication is not authorized by the candidate or the candidate's campaign committee;

(2) Clearly identifies the person making the disbursement for the electioneering communication in accordance with section 3517.20 of the Revised Code.

(G) Any coordinated electioneering communication is an in-kind contribution, subject to the applicable contribution limits prescribed in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code, to the candidate by the person making disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing or airing the communication.

(H) No person shall make, during the thirty days preceding a primary election or during the thirty days preceding a general election, any broadcast, cable, or satellite communication that refers to a clearly identified candidate using any contributions received from a corporation or labor organization.

Section 3517.1012 | Political parties to establish restricted funds - deposits and disbursements.

• Effective: October 17, 2019
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly

(A)(1) Each state and county political party shall establish a restricted fund that is separate from all other accounts of the political party.

(2) A state or county political party shall deposit into its restricted fund all gifts that are made to or accepted by the political party from a corporation or labor organization subject to the applicable limitations prescribed in division (X) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code. A state or county political party may deposit into its restricted fund any gifts that are made to or accepted by the political party from a source other than a corporation or labor organization.

(3) Moneys in a state or county political party's restricted fund may be disbursed to pay costs incurred for any of the purposes specified in division (A) of section 3517.18 of the Revised Code.

(B) Except as otherwise provided in this division, a state or county political party shall file deposit and disbursement statements, in the same manner as the party is required to file statements of contributions and expenditures under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code, regarding all deposits made into, and all disbursements made from, the party's restricted fund. Deposit and disbursement statements filed in accordance with this division by a county political party shall be filed by electronic means of transmission to the office of the secretary of state at the times specified in division (A) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code for the filing of statements of contributions and expenditures if the county political party accepts gifts from a corporation or labor organization under division (A)(2) of this section.

Section 3517.1013 | Gifts to defray costs of campaign activities - separate account - statement to be filed.

• Effective: March 31, 2005
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1SPECIALSESSION - 125th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Gift" means a gift, subscription, loan, advance, or deposit of money, or anything of value given to a state political party that is specifically designated and used to defray any cost incurred on or after the effective date of this section for voter registration, voter identification, get-out-the-vote, or generic campaign activities, and that is not used for the purpose of directly influencing the election of any individual candidate in any particular election for any office.

(2) "Address" has the same meaning as in section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(3) "Political party" means a major political party as defined in section 3501.01 of the Revised Code.

(B)(1) Notwithstanding section 3599.03 of the Revised Code, any person, including a for-profit or nonprofit corporation, but not including a public utility, may make a gift to a Levin account as described in division (D) of this section, if the gift is specifically designated and used to defray any cost incurred on or after the effective date of this section for voter registration, voter identification, get-out-the-vote, or generic campaign activities that would not otherwise be considered a contribution or expenditure.

(2)(a) All gifts made by a corporation, nonprofit corporation, or labor organization under division (B)(1) of this section shall be limited to an aggregate amount of ten thousand dollars in a calendar year in which a candidate for federal office will appear on a ballot at an election to be held in this state.

(b) No corporation, nonprofit corporation, or labor organization shall make a gift under division (B)(1) of this section in any year in which no candidate for federal office will appear on the ballot at an election to be held in this state.

(3) The limitation described in division (B)(2)(a) of this section is in addition to any limitation described in section 3517.1012 or any other section of the Revised Code.

(C)(1) Each state political party that receives a gift under this section shall file, by electronic means of transmission to the office of the secretary of state, a full, true, and itemized statement describing the gift received and the manner in which disbursements were made from the account. The statement shall be filed at the same time as and in conjunction with each filing of a deposit and disbursement statement by the state political party in accordance with division (B) of section 3517.1012 of the Revised Code.

(2) Each statement required under division (C)(1) of this section shall contain all of the following information:

(a) The full name and address of the state political party filing the statement and the full name and address of the party's treasurer;

(b) A description of each gift received, which shall include all of the following:

(i) The month, day, and year on which the gift was received;

(ii) The full name and address of each donor of the gift;

(iii) The nature of the gift, if other than money;

(iv) The value of the gift in dollars and cents. Each gift received shall be itemized separately, regardless of its amount or value.

(c) An itemization of the manner in which each disbursement was made, which shall include all of the following:

(i) The name and address of the recipient of the disbursement;

(ii) The date of the disbursement;

(iii) The amount of the disbursement;

(iv) The method by which the disbursement was made, such as by cash or check.

(d) The total value of gifts received and gifts disbursed during the reporting period.

(D) All monetary gifts given pursuant to this section shall be deposited in an account separate from other funds and shall be maintained in that separate account, which account shall be designated a "Levin account." Moneys in a Levin account shall be used only for voter registration, voter identification, get-out-the-vote, or generic campaign activities that would not otherwise be considered a contribution or expenditure.

(E)(1) No state political party shall fail to file a statement required to be filed under this section.

(2) No state political party shall knowingly fail to report, or shall knowingly misrepresent, a gift required to be reported on a statement required to be filed under this section.

(F) No state political party shall expend or use a gift received under this section for a purpose other than to defray a cost incurred on or after the effective date of this section for voter registration, voter identification, get-out-the-vote, or generic campaign activities that would not otherwise be considered a contribution or expenditure.

(G)(1) Before receiving a gift under this section, each state political party shall appoint a treasurer and file, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, a designation of that appointment. The designation shall include the full name and address of the political party for which the person has been appointed treasurer. The designation shall be filed with the secretary of state.

(2) The treasurer shall keep a strict account of all gifts required to be reported under this section.

(3) A state political party that has already filed the form required under division (G)(1) of this section prior to receiving a contribution or making an expenditure is considered to have met the requirements of that division.

(H) Upon request, the secretary of state shall issue a receipt for each statement filed under this section. The secretary of state shall maintain a record of the filing for at least six years. All statements filed under this section shall be open to public inspection in the office in which they are filed.

Section 3517.1014 | Transition funds.

• Effective: September 10, 2010
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 5 - 128th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Donation" means a gift, subscription, loan, advance, or deposit of money, or anything of value that is specifically designated and used to defray any costs incurred for transition activities and inaugural celebrations and that is not used for the purpose of directly influencing the election of any candidate for any office.

(2) "Costs incurred for transition activities and inaugural celebrations" means legitimate and verifiable costs that are incurred for ordinary and necessary activities associated with either of the following:

(a) The transfer of power or authority from one officeholder to another following a general or special election or appointment to office;

(b) Ceremonies, events, or activities commemorating the commencement of a term or the commencement of an unexpired term of an officeholder.

"Costs incurred for transition activities and inaugural celebrations" includes, but is not limited to, costs incurred for office expenses; salaries for transition personnel; consulting fees; and food, beverages, and entertainment at an inaugural celebration.

(3) "Officeholder" means a person who has been or who may have been elected to any elective office other than a judicial office or who has been appointed to any elective office other than a judicial office.

(B)(1)(a) An officeholder may establish a transition fund to receive donations and to pay costs incurred for transition activities and inaugural celebrations. The officeholder shall file a statement with the secretary of state establishing the fund and designating a treasurer for the fund. The secretary of state shall specify, by rule, the form of the statement.

(b) The treasurer shall terminate the transition fund not later than one hundred twenty days after the fund is established. Donations may be accepted for and deposited into a transition fund, and disbursements may be made from a transition fund, only during the fund's existence. Costs incurred for transition activities and inaugural celebrations that are to be paid for with moneys from the fund shall be incurred only during the fund's existence.

(2) An officeholder may establish a transition fund:

(a) The day after the day of the election at which the person seeks election to office, if, based on the number of ballots outstanding for that election and the unofficial results of the election, it is mathematically possible for the person to have been elected to that office;

(b) After the person has been appointed to fill a vacancy in an unexpired term of an elective office.

(3)(a) An officeholder who is elected at a general election or who may be elected at a general election and who wishes to establish a transition fund shall establish that fund not later than the last day of December of the year in which the election was held.

(b) An officeholder who is appointed and who wishes to establish a transition fund shall establish that fund not later than forty-five days after the day the person is appointed to office.

(c) An officeholder who is elected at a special election or who may be elected at a special election and who wishes to establish a transition fund shall establish that fund not later than forty-five days after the day of the special election.

(C)(1)(a) Any campaign committee and any person, including a for-profit corporation, may make a donation to a transition fund.

(b) No campaign committee or person shall make a donation or donations to a transition fund of an officeholder for the joint offices of governor and lieutenant governor aggregating more than ten thousand dollars.

(c) No campaign committee or person shall make a donation or donations to a transition fund of any officeholder other than an officeholder for the joint offices of governor and lieutenant governor aggregating more than two thousand five hundred dollars.

(2) No officeholder shall accept a donation unless both of the following apply:

(a) The officeholder has established a transition fund under division (B) of this section; and

(b) The donation is deposited to the credit of that fund.

(3)(a) No officeholder for the joint offices of governor and lieutenant governor or treasurer of a transition fund for the joint offices of governor and lieutenant governor shall accept a donation or donations from any one campaign committee or any one person aggregating more than ten thousand dollars.

(b) No officeholder other than an officeholder for the joint offices of governor and lieutenant governor and no treasurer of a transition fund for any officeholder other than an officeholder for the joint offices of governor and lieutenant governor shall accept a donation or donations from any one campaign committee or any one person aggregating more than two thousand five hundred dollars.

(D)(1)(a) The treasurer of a transition fund shall keep a strict account of all donations to the fund and all disbursements from the fund.

(b) The treasurer of a transition fund shall deposit all monetary donations received by the transition fund into a separate bank or financial institution account established solely for the transition fund.

(2) The treasurer of a transition fund shall file, by electronic means of transmission to the office of the secretary of state, a full, true, and itemized statement describing each donation received and each disbursement made from the fund not later than four p.m. of the following dates:

(a) The fifteenth day of January of the calendar year following the general election at which the officeholder was elected, or, if the officeholder was elected at a special election or appointed to office, the sixty-fifth day after the transition fund is created, to reflect donations received and disbursements made from the creation of the transition fund to the close of business on the fifth day before the statement is required to be filed;

(b) The fifteenth day of each subsequent month of the fund's existence, to reflect donations received and disbursements made from the close of business on the last day reflected in the last previously filed statement to the close of business on the fifth day before the statement is required to be filed.

(3) Each statement required under division (D)(2) of this section shall contain the following information:

(a) The full name and address of the treasurer filing the statement and the full name and address of the officeholder who is the beneficiary of the transition fund;

(b) The balance in the transition fund brought forward from the most recently filed statement, if any;

(c) A statement of donations received, which shall include all of the following:

(i) The month, day, and year on which each donation was received;

(ii) The full name and street address of each donor;

(iii) The nature of each donation, if other than money;

(iv) The value of each donation in dollars and cents; and

(v) If applicable, the name of the donor's current employer, or, if the donor is self-employed, the donor's occupation and the name of the donor's business.

(d) A statement of disbursements, which shall include all of the following:

(i) The name and address of the recipient of each disbursement;

(ii) The date of each disbursement;

(iii) The amount of each disbursement;

(iv) The purpose for which each disbursement was made; and

(v) The date the transition fund incurred the cost for which the disbursement was made.

(e) The balance remaining in the fund.

(E)(1) No treasurer of a transition fund shall knowingly fail to file a statement required to be filed under this section.

(2) No treasurer of a transition fund shall knowingly fail to report, or shall knowingly misrepresent, a donation required to be reported on a statement required to be filed under this section.

(3) No treasurer of a transition fund shall knowingly fail to report, or shall knowingly misrepresent, a disbursement required to be reported on a statement required to be filed under this section.

(F) Upon request, the secretary of state shall issue a receipt for each statement filed under this section. The secretary of state shall maintain a record of the filing for at least ten years. All statements filed under this section shall be open to public inspection in the office in which they are filed.

(G)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (H)(1) or (2) of this section, no treasurer of a transition fund shall make a disbursement from the fund for a purpose other than to pay costs incurred for transition activities and inaugural celebrations.

(2) No treasurer of a transition fund shall make a disbursement from the fund to make a contribution to a campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or political contributing entity.

(3) No treasurer of a transition fund shall make a disbursement from the fund to reimburse any personal expenses of the beneficiary of the transition fund, except to reimburse the beneficiary of the transition fund for costs incurred for transition activities and inaugural celebrations.

(4) No treasurer of a transition fund shall make a disbursement from the fund for the purpose of influencing the results of any election.

(H)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (H)(2) of this section, after the payment of all costs incurred for transition activities and inaugural celebrations, the treasurer of the transition fund shall dispose of any money or assets remaining in the transition fund prior to terminating the fund by doing either of the following:

(a) Giving the amount, pro rata, to all persons who made donations to that transition fund as a refund of all or part of their donations;

(b) Giving the amount to a corporation that is exempt from federal income taxation under subsection 501(a) and described in subsection 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code.

(2) If, upon the completion of the canvass of election returns for the election at which the beneficiary of a transition fund seeks election to office, it is determined that the beneficiary has not been elected to that office, within thirty days after the completion of the canvass the treasurer of the beneficiary's transition fund shall dispose of all assets remaining in the transition fund in the manner provided in division (H)(1) of this section.

(3) In disposing of assets under division (H)(1) or (2) of this section, the treasurer of a transition fund shall not refund to any campaign committee any donation received from that campaign committee.

(I)(1) Not later than one hundred twenty days after a transition fund has been established, the treasurer of the transition fund shall file a final statement of donations and disbursements under division (D) of this section that shall include the disbursements made under division (H)(1) of this section, as applicable. The final statement shall be filed with a termination statement that meets the requirements of division (I)(3) of this section.

(2) Not later than thirty-five days after a determination that the beneficiary of a transition fund has not been elected to office under division (H)(2) of this section, the treasurer of the transition fund shall file a final statement of donations and disbursements under division (D) of this section that shall include the disbursements made under division (H)(2) of this section, as applicable. The final statement shall be filed with a termination statement that meets the requirements of division (I)(3) of this section.

(3) The secretary of state shall specify, by rule, the form of the termination statement required to be filed under division (I)(1) or (2) of this section. The rule shall require that a copy of all available statements from the bank or other financial institution that held transition fund moneys be filed with the termination statement. The bank or financial institution statements shall contain a zero balance confirming that all transition fund moneys were disposed of prior to the termination of the transition fund. If final bank or financial institution statements are not available at the time of the filing of the termination statement, the rule shall require the treasurer of the transition fund to do both of the following:

(a) State in the termination statement that all transition fund moneys were disposed of prior to the termination of the transition fund;

(b) File with the secretary of state copies of the final bank or financial institution statements within five days after the treasurer receives those statements from the bank or financial institution.

(4) Upon the filing of a termination statement, the transition fund shall cease to exist.

Section 3517.1015 | Disclosure of contributions.

• Effective: September 10, 2010
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 519 - 128th General Assembly

Each person licensed under Chapter 3772. of the Revised Code shall disclose quarterly to the secretary of state any contribution of one hundred dollars or more made to any ballot issue.

Section 3517.11 | Requirement of filing statement.

• Effective: January 1, 2021
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 (GA 133), Senate Bill 107 (GA 133)

(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 (E) 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 (E) or (J) 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)(1)(e) 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, the secretary of state shall notify every candidate subject to the provisions of this section and sections 3517.10 and 3517.106 of the Revised Code of the requirements and applicable penalties of those sections. The secretary of state shall notify all candidates required to file those statements with the secretary of state's office either by certified mail, or, if the secretary of state has record of an internet identifier of record associated with the candidate, by ordinary mail and by that internet identifier of record. 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 notify all other candidates required to file those statements with it either by certified mail, or, if the secretary of state has record of an internet identifier of record associated with the candidate, by ordinary mail and by that internet identifier of record.

(3)(a) Any statement required to be filed under sections 3517.081 to 3517.14 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 (E) or (J) 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 or a board of elections 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) and (G) 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 3517.14 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 3517.14 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 3517.14 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.

The Legislative Service Commission presents the text of this section as a composite of the section as amended by multiple acts of the General Assembly. This presentation recognizes the principle stated in R.C. 1.52(B) that amendments are to be harmonized if reasonably capable of simultaneous operation.

Last updated February 15, 2022 at 2:06 PM

Section 3517.12 | Itemized statement of expenditures on issues.

• Effective: May 2, 2006
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 3 - 126th General Assembly

(A) Prior to receiving a contribution or making an expenditure, the circulator or committee in charge of an initiative or referendum petition, or supplementary petition for additional signatures, for the submission of a constitutional amendment, proposed law, section, or item of any law shall appoint a treasurer and shall file with the secretary of state, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, a designation of that appointment, including the full name and address of the treasurer and of the circulator or committee.

(B) The circulator or the committee in charge of an initiative or referendum petition, or supplementary petition for additional signatures, for the submission of a constitutional amendment, proposed law, section, or item of any law shall, within thirty days after those petition papers are filed, file with the secretary of state, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, an itemized statement, made under penalty of election falsification, showing in detail the following:

(1) All money or things of value paid, given, promised, or received for circulating the petitions;

(2) All appointments, promotions, or increases in salary, in positions which were given, promised, or received, or to obtain which assistance was given, promised, or received as a consideration for work done in circulating petitions;

(3) Full names and addresses, including street, city, and state, of all persons to whom such payments or promises were made and of all persons from whom such payments or promises were received;

(4) Full names and addresses, including street, city, and state, of all persons who contributed anything of value to be used in circulating the petitions, and the amounts of those contributions;

(5) Time spent and salaries earned while soliciting signatures to petitions by persons who were regular salaried employees of some person or whom that employer authorized to solicit as part of their regular duties.

If no money or things of value were paid or received or if no promises were made or received as a consideration for work done in circulating a petition, the statement shall contain words to that effect.

(C) The treasurer designated under division (A) of this section shall file statements of contributions and expenditures in accordance with section 3517.10 of the Revised Code regarding all contributions made or received and all expenditures made by that treasurer or the circulator or committee in connection with the initiative or referendum petition, or supplementary petition for additional signatures, for the submission of a constitutional amendment, proposed law, section, or item of any law.

Section 3517.121 | Contributions and expenditures by foreign nationals.

• Effective: September 1, 2024
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1SPECIALSESSION - 135th General Assembly

Notwithstanding any contrary provision of the Revised Code:

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Electioneering communication" has the same meaning as in section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code.

(2) "Foreign national" means any of the following, as applicable:

(a) In the case of an individual, an individual who is not a United States citizen or national;

(b) A government of a foreign country or of a political subdivision of a foreign country;

(c) A foreign political party;

(d) A person, other than an individual, that is organized under the laws of, or has its principal place of business in, a foreign country.

(B) No foreign national shall, directly or indirectly through any person or entity, do any of the following:

(1) Make a contribution, expenditure, or independent expenditure in support of or opposition to a candidate for any elective office in this state, including an office of a political party;

(2) Make a contribution, expenditure, or independent expenditure in support of or opposition to a statewide ballot issue or question, regardless of whether the ballot issue or question has yet been certified to appear on the ballot;

(3) Make a disbursement for the direct cost of producing or airing an electioneering communication;

(4) Make a contribution to a candidate, campaign committee, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, state candidate fund, political party, or separate segregated fund, to any committee created to support or oppose a ballot issue or question, or, to the maximum extent permitted by law and by the constitutions of the United States and of this state, to a continuing association;

(5) Promise, either expressly or implicitly, to make a contribution, expenditure, independent expenditure, or disbursement described in division (B)(1), (2), (3), or (4) of this section.

(C) No individual, candidate, campaign committee, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, state candidate fund, political party, separate segregated fund, or committee created to support or oppose a ballot issue or question and, to the maximum extent permitted by law and by the constitutions of the United States and of this state, no continuing association shall, directly or indirectly through any other person or entity, knowingly do either of the following:

(1) Solicit, accept, or receive any funds from a foreign national for any purpose described in division (B) of this section;

(2) Make a contribution, expenditure, or independent expenditure using any funds the person knows were received from a foreign national for any purpose described in division (B) of this section.

(D) No person shall knowingly aid or facilitate a violation of division (B) or (C) of this section.

(E) Any complaint that alleges a violation of division (W) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be treated as instead alleging a violation of this section.

(F)(1) Whoever knowingly violates division (B) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree on a first offense and is guilty of a felony of the fifth degree on a second or subsequent offense. The violator also shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount involved in the violation or ten thousand dollars, whichever amount is greater.

(2) Whoever knowingly violates division (C) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree on a first offense and is guilty of a felony of the fifth degree on a second or subsequent offense. The violator also shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount involved in the violation or ten thousand dollars, whichever amount is greater, and shall be required to return the total amount accepted in violation of that division to the foreign national from whom it was accepted.

(3) Whoever knowingly violates division (D) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree and shall be fined one thousand dollars.

(G)(1)(a) Except as otherwise provided in division (G)(1)(b) of this section, the attorney general has exclusive authority to prosecute a violation of this section and has exclusive supervision and control of all investigations, prosecutions, and enforcement proceedings under this section.

(b) If the attorney general is a victim or witness or otherwise involved in an alleged violation of this section, the attorney general shall refer the matter to the appropriate prosecutor, as determined under division (A)(2) of section 3517.155 of the Revised Code, except that if applicable, the attorney general shall make the determination described in division (A)(2)(b) of that section instead of the Ohio elections commission.

(2) Upon the occurrence of either of the following, the attorney general shall investigate an alleged violation of this section in consultation with the secretary of state:

(a) The submission of a written request to the attorney general by the governor, the secretary of state, the general assembly, or the Ohio elections commission, alleging a violation of this section;

(b) The filing of a complaint with the attorney general by an elector of this state, alleging a violation of this section.

(3) If it appears to the attorney general, after conducting an investigation under division (G)(2) of this section, that there is probable cause to believe that a violation of this section has occurred, the attorney general may prosecute the violation in a court of competent jurisdiction.

(H) When proceeding under this section, the attorney general and any assistant or special counsel designated by the attorney general for that purpose have all the rights, privileges, and powers conferred by law on prosecuting attorneys, including the power to appear before grand juries and to interrogate witnesses before such grand juries. These powers of the attorney general are in addition to any other applicable powers of the attorney general.

Last updated June 10, 2024 at 3:37 PM

Section 3517.13 | Failure to file statements.

• Effective: October 17, 2019
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly

(A)(1) No campaign committee of a statewide candidate shall fail to file a complete and accurate statement required under division (A)(1) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(2) No campaign committee of a statewide candidate shall fail to file a complete and accurate monthly statement, and no campaign committee of a statewide candidate or a candidate for the office of chief justice or justice of the supreme court shall fail to file a complete and accurate two-business-day statement, as required under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

As used in this division, "statewide candidate" has the same meaning as in division (F)(2) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(B) No campaign committee shall fail to file a complete and accurate statement required under division (A)(1) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(C) No campaign committee shall fail to file a complete and accurate statement required under division (A)(2) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(D) No campaign committee shall fail to file a complete and accurate statement required under division (A)(3) or (4) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(E) No person other than a campaign committee shall knowingly fail to file a statement required under section 3517.10 or 3517.107 of the Revised Code.

(F) No person shall make cash contributions to any person totaling more than one hundred dollars in each primary, special, or general election.

(G)(1) No person shall knowingly conceal or misrepresent contributions given or received, expenditures made, or any other information required to be reported by a provision in sections 3517.08 to 3517.13 of the Revised Code.

(2)(a) No person shall make a contribution to a campaign committee, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, political party, or person making disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications in the name of another person.

(b) A person does not make a contribution in the name of another when either of the following applies:

(i) An individual makes a contribution from a partnership or other unincorporated business account, if the contribution is reported by listing both the name of the partnership or other unincorporated business and the name of the partner or owner making the contribution as required under division (I) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(ii) A person makes a contribution in that person's spouse's name or in both of their names.

(H) No person within this state, publishing a newspaper or other periodical, shall charge a campaign committee for political advertising a rate in excess of the rate such person would charge if the campaign committee were a general rate advertiser whose advertising was directed to promoting its business within the same area as that encompassed by the particular office that the candidate of the campaign committee is seeking. The rate shall take into account the amount of space used, as well as the type of advertising copy submitted by or on behalf of the campaign committee. All discount privileges otherwise offered by a newspaper or periodical to general rate advertisers shall be available upon equal terms to all campaign committees.

No person within this state, operating a radio or television station or network of stations in this state, shall charge a campaign committee for political broadcasts a rate that exceeds:

(1) During the forty-five days preceding the date of a primary election and during the sixty days preceding the date of a general or special election in which the candidate of the campaign committee is seeking office, the lowest unit charge of the station for the same class and amount of time for the same period;

(2) At any other time, the charges made for comparable use of that station by its other users.

(I) Subject to divisions (K), (L), (M), and (N) of this section, no agency or department of this state or any political subdivision shall award any contract, other than one let by competitive bidding or a contract incidental to such contract or which is by force account, for the purchase of goods costing more than five hundred dollars or services costing more than five hundred dollars to any individual, partnership, association, including, without limitation, a professional association organized under Chapter 1785. of the Revised Code, estate, or trust if the individual has made or the individual's spouse has made, or any partner, shareholder, administrator, executor, or trustee or the spouse of any of them has made, as an individual, within the two previous calendar years, one or more contributions totaling in excess of one thousand dollars to the holder of the public office having ultimate responsibility for the award of the contract or to the public officer's campaign committee.

(J) Subject to divisions (K), (L), (M), and (N) of this section, no agency or department of this state or any political subdivision shall award any contract, other than one let by competitive bidding or a contract incidental to such contract or which is by force account, for the purchase of goods costing more than five hundred dollars or services costing more than five hundred dollars to a corporation or business trust, except a professional association organized under Chapter 1785. of the Revised Code, if an owner of more than twenty per cent of the corporation or business trust or the spouse of that person has made, as an individual, within the two previous calendar years, taking into consideration only owners for all of that period, one or more contributions totaling in excess of one thousand dollars to the holder of a public office having ultimate responsibility for the award of the contract or to the public officer's campaign committee.

(K) For purposes of divisions (I) and (J) of this section, if a public officer who is responsible for the award of a contract is appointed by the governor, whether or not the appointment is subject to the advice and consent of the senate, excluding members of boards, commissions, committees, authorities, councils, boards of trustees, task forces, and other such entities appointed by the governor, the office of the governor is considered to have ultimate responsibility for the award of the contract.

(L) For purposes of divisions (I) and (J) of this section, if a public officer who is responsible for the award of a contract is appointed by the elected chief executive officer of a municipal corporation, or appointed by the elected chief executive officer of a county operating under an alternative form of county government or county charter, excluding members of boards, commissions, committees, authorities, councils, boards of trustees, task forces, and other such entities appointed by the chief executive officer, the office of the chief executive officer is considered to have ultimate responsibility for the award of the contract.

(M)(1) Divisions (I) and (J) of this section do not apply to contracts awarded by the board of commissioners of the sinking fund, municipal legislative authorities, boards of education, boards of county commissioners, boards of township trustees, or other boards, commissions, committees, authorities, councils, boards of trustees, task forces, and other such entities created by law, by the supreme court or courts of appeals, by county courts consisting of more than one judge, courts of common pleas consisting of more than one judge, or municipal courts consisting of more than one judge, or by a division of any court if the division consists of more than one judge. This division shall apply to the specified entity only if the members of the entity act collectively in the award of a contract for goods or services.

(2) Divisions (I) and (J) of this section do not apply to actions of the controlling board.

(N)(1) Divisions (I) and (J) of this section apply to contributions made to the holder of a public office having ultimate responsibility for the award of a contract, or to the public officer's campaign committee, during the time the person holds the office and during any time such person was a candidate for the office. Those divisions do not apply to contributions made to, or to the campaign committee of, a candidate for or holder of the office other than the holder of the office at the time of the award of the contract.

(2) Divisions (I) and (J) of this section do not apply to contributions of a partner, shareholder, administrator, executor, trustee, or owner of more than twenty per cent of a corporation or business trust made before the person held any of those positions or after the person ceased to hold any of those positions in the partnership, association, estate, trust, corporation, or business trust whose eligibility to be awarded a contract is being determined, nor to contributions of the person's spouse made before the person held any of those positions, after the person ceased to hold any of those positions, before the two were married, after the granting of a decree of divorce, dissolution of marriage, or annulment, or after the granting of an order in an action brought solely for legal separation. Those divisions do not apply to contributions of the spouse of an individual whose eligibility to be awarded a contract is being determined made before the two were married, after the granting of a decree of divorce, dissolution of marriage, or annulment, or after the granting of an order in an action brought solely for legal separation.

(O) No beneficiary of a campaign fund or other person shall convert for personal use, and no person shall knowingly give to a beneficiary of a campaign fund or any other person, for the beneficiary's or any other person's personal use, anything of value from the beneficiary's campaign fund, including, without limitation, payments to a beneficiary for services the beneficiary personally performs, except as reimbursement for any of the following:

(1) Legitimate and verifiable prior campaign expenses incurred by the beneficiary;

(2) Legitimate and verifiable ordinary and necessary prior expenses incurred by the beneficiary in connection with duties as the holder of a public office, including, without limitation, expenses incurred through participation in nonpartisan or bipartisan events if the participation of the holder of a public office would normally be expected;

(3) Legitimate and verifiable ordinary and necessary prior expenses incurred by the beneficiary while doing any of the following:

(a) Engaging in activities in support of or opposition to a candidate other than the beneficiary, political party, or ballot issue;

(b) Raising funds for a political party, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, campaign committee, or other candidate;

(c) Participating in the activities of a political party, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or campaign committee;

(d) Attending a political party convention or other political meeting.

For purposes of this division, an expense is incurred whenever a beneficiary has either made payment or is obligated to make payment, as by the use of a credit card or other credit procedure or by the use of goods or services received on account.

(P) No beneficiary of a campaign fund shall knowingly accept, and no person shall knowingly give to the beneficiary of a campaign fund, reimbursement for an expense under division (O) of this section to the extent that the expense previously was reimbursed or paid from another source of funds. If an expense is reimbursed under division (O) of this section and is later paid or reimbursed, wholly or in part, from another source of funds, the beneficiary shall repay the reimbursement received under division (O) of this section to the extent of the payment made or reimbursement received from the other source.

(Q) No candidate or public official or employee shall accept for personal or business use anything of value from a political party, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or campaign committee other than the candidate's or public official's or employee's own campaign committee, and no person shall knowingly give to a candidate or public official or employee anything of value from a political party, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or such a campaign committee, except for the following:

(1) Reimbursement for legitimate and verifiable ordinary and necessary prior expenses not otherwise prohibited by law incurred by the candidate or public official or employee while engaged in any legitimate activity of the political party, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or such campaign committee. Without limitation, reimbursable expenses under this division include those incurred while doing any of the following:

(a) Engaging in activities in support of or opposition to another candidate, political party, or ballot issue;

(b) Raising funds for a political party, legislative campaign fund, campaign committee, or another candidate;

(c) Attending a political party convention or other political meeting.

(2) Compensation not otherwise prohibited by law for actual and valuable personal services rendered under a written contract to the political party, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or such campaign committee for any legitimate activity of the political party, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or such campaign committee.

Reimbursable expenses under this division do not include, and it is a violation of this division for a candidate or public official or employee to accept, or for any person to knowingly give to a candidate or public official or employee from a political party, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or campaign committee other than the candidate's or public official's or employee's own campaign committee, anything of value for activities primarily related to the candidate's or public official's or employee's own campaign for election, except for contributions to the candidate's or public official's or employee's campaign committee.

For purposes of this division, an expense is incurred whenever a candidate or public official or employee has either made payment or is obligated to make payment, as by the use of a credit card or other credit procedure, or by the use of goods or services on account.

(R)(1) Division (O) or (P) of this section does not prohibit a campaign committee from making direct advance or post payment from contributions to vendors for goods and services for which reimbursement is permitted under division (O) of this section, except that no campaign committee shall pay its candidate or other beneficiary for services personally performed by the candidate or other beneficiary.

(2) If any expense that may be reimbursed under division (O), (P), or (Q) of this section is part of other expenses that may not be paid or reimbursed, the separation of the two types of expenses for the purpose of allocating for payment or reimbursement those expenses that may be paid or reimbursed may be by any reasonable accounting method, considering all of the surrounding circumstances.

(3) For purposes of divisions (O), (P), and (Q) of this section, mileage allowance at a rate not greater than that allowed by the internal revenue service at the time the travel occurs may be paid instead of reimbursement for actual travel expenses allowable.

(S)(1) As used in division (S) of this section:

(a) "State elective office" has the same meaning as in section 3517.092 of the Revised Code.

(b) "Federal office" means a federal office as defined in the Federal Election Campaign Act.

(c) "Federal campaign committee" means a principal campaign committee or authorized committee as defined in the Federal Election Campaign Act.

(2) No person who is a candidate for state elective office and who previously sought nomination or election to a federal office shall transfer any funds or assets from that person's federal campaign committee for nomination or election to the federal office to that person's campaign committee as a candidate for state elective office.

(3) No campaign committee of a person who is a candidate for state elective office and who previously sought nomination or election to a federal office shall accept any funds or assets from that person's federal campaign committee for that person's nomination or election to the federal office.

(T)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (B)(6)(c) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code, a state or county political party shall not disburse moneys from any account other than a state candidate fund to make contributions to any of the following:

(a) A state candidate fund;

(b) A legislative campaign fund;

(c) A campaign committee of a candidate for the office of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, member of the state board of education, or member of the general assembly.

(2) No state candidate fund, legislative campaign fund, or campaign committee of a candidate for any office described in division (T)(1)(c) of this section shall knowingly accept a contribution in violation of division (T)(1) of this section.

(U) No person shall fail to file a statement required under section 3517.12 of the Revised Code.

(V) No campaign committee shall fail to file a statement required under division (K)(3) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(W)(1) No foreign national shall, directly or indirectly through any other person or entity, make a contribution, expenditure, or independent expenditure or promise, either expressly or implicitly, to make a contribution, expenditure, or independent expenditure in support of or opposition to a candidate for any elective office in this state, including an office of a political party.

(2) No candidate, campaign committee, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, state candidate fund, political party, or separate segregated fund shall solicit or accept a contribution, expenditure, or independent expenditure from a foreign national. The secretary of state may direct any candidate, committee, entity, fund, or party that accepts a contribution, expenditure, or independent expenditure in violation of this division to return the contribution, expenditure, or independent expenditure or, if it is not possible to return the contribution, expenditure, or independent expenditure, then to return instead the value of it, to the contributor.

(3) As used in division (W) of this section, "foreign national" has the same meaning as in section 441e(b) of the Federal Election Campaign Act.

(X)(1) No state or county political party shall transfer any moneys from its restricted fund to any account of the political party into which contributions may be made or from which contributions or expenditures may be made.

(2)(a) No state or county political party shall deposit a contribution or contributions that it receives into its restricted fund.

(b) No state or county political party shall make a contribution or an expenditure from its restricted fund.

(3)(a) No corporation or labor organization shall make a gift or gifts from the corporation's or labor organization's money or property aggregating more than ten thousand dollars to any one state or county political party for the party's restricted fund in a calendar year.

(b) No state or county political party shall accept a gift or gifts for the party's restricted fund aggregating more than ten thousand dollars from any one corporation or labor organization in a calendar year.

(4) No state or county political party shall transfer any moneys in the party's restricted fund to any other state or county political party.

(5) No state or county political party shall knowingly fail to file a statement required under section 3517.1012 of the Revised Code.

(Y) The administrator of workers' compensation and the employees of the bureau of workers' compensation shall not conduct any business with or award any contract, other than one awarded by competitive bidding, for the purchase of goods costing more than five hundred dollars or services costing more than five hundred dollars to any individual, partnership, association, including, without limitation, a professional association organized under Chapter 1785. of the Revised Code, estate, or trust, if the individual has made, or the individual's spouse has made, or any partner, shareholder, administrator, executor, or trustee, or the spouses of any of those individuals has made, as an individual, within the two previous calendar years, one or more contributions totaling in excess of one thousand dollars to the campaign committee of the governor or lieutenant governor or to the campaign committee of any candidate for the office of governor or lieutenant governor.

(Z) The administrator of workers' compensation and the employees of the bureau of workers' compensation shall not conduct business with or award any contract, other than one awarded by competitive bidding, for the purchase of goods costing more than five hundred dollars or services costing more than five hundred dollars to a corporation or business trust, except a professional association organized under Chapter 1785. of the Revised Code, if an owner of more than twenty per cent of the corporation or business trust, or the spouse of the owner, has made, as an individual, within the two previous calendar years, taking into consideration only owners for all of such period, one or more contributions totaling in excess of one thousand dollars to the campaign committee of the governor or lieutenant governor or to the campaign committee of any candidate for the office of governor or lieutenant governor.

Section 3517.14 | Ohio elections commission - prior to 1996.

• Effective: October 5, 1987
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 231 - 117th General Assembly

(A) There is hereby created the Ohio elections commission consisting of five members, four of whom shall be appointed by the secretary of state with the advice and consent of the senate. Of the initial appointments by the secretary of state to the commission, one shall be for a term ending July 23, 1975, one shall be for a term ending July 23, 1976, one shall be for a term ending July 23, 1977, and one shall be for a term ending July 23, 1978. Thereafter, terms of office shall be for five years, each term ending on the same day of the same month of the year as did the term which it succeeds. The length of the term of office of each of the secretary of state's initial appointees to membership on the commission shall be determined by lot at the initial organizational meeting of the commission.

(B) In making the initial appointments to the commission, the secretary of state shall appoint two persons each from a list of five names submitted by the chairmen of the state central committee of each of the two political parties having the highest total vote cast at the previous election for the office of governor. The four members of the commission so appointed shall by a majority vote appoint a fifth member who is to serve as a member and as chairman of the commission for five years from July 23, 1974. Thereafter, the term of office of the chairman of the commission shall be for five years, each term ending on the same day of the same month of the year as did the term which it succeeds.

(C) Each member of the commission shall hold office from the date of his appointment until the end of the term for which he was appointed. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which his predecessor was appointed shall hold office for the remainder of such term. Any member shall continue in office subsequent to the expiration date of his term until his successor takes office, or until a period of sixty days has elapsed, whichever occurs first.

(D) A vacancy in the Ohio elections commission may be caused by death, resignation, or three absences from commission meetings in a calendar year, provided such absences are caused by reasons declared insufficient by a majority vote of the remaining members of the commission. Any vacancy in the position of chairman of the commission shall be filled by a majority vote of the four other appointed members of the commission. Upon any other vacancy occurring on the commission, the secretary of state shall appoint a successor from a list of five names submitted by the chairman of the central committee of the political party from whose list of names the member being replaced was appointed.

(E) Each member of the commission while in the performance of the business of the commission shall be entitled to receive compensation at the rate of fifty dollars per day and shall be reimbursed for expenses actually and necessarily incurred in the performance of his duties.

(F) No member of the commission shall serve more than one full term.

(G) No person may hold or be a candidate for any public office or serve on a committee supporting or opposing any issue or proposition at the time he takes office or during the time he serves as a member of the commission.

(H) The commission shall meet at the call of the chairman or upon the written request of a majority of the members. The commission shall adopt rules for its procedures. A majority of the members constitutes a quorum. No action shall be taken without the concurrence of a majority of the members.

(I) The secretary of state shall provide such technical, professional, and clerical employees as are necessary, and any funding that is necessary, for the commission to carry out its duties.

Section 3517.151 | Filing complaints for acts occurring before July 13, 1998.

• Effective: September 29, 2005
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 66 - 126th General Assembly

(A) On and after January 1, 1996, complaints with respect to acts or failures to act under the sections listed in division (A) of section 3517.153 of the Revised Code shall be filed with the Ohio elections commission created under section 3517.152 of the Revised Code.

(B)(1) If a complaint filed with the Ohio elections commission created under section 3517.152 of the Revised Code alleges an act or failure to act that occurred before August 24, 1995, and the commission imposes a fine, sections 3517.99 and 3517.991 of the Revised Code, and not sections 3517.992 and 3517.993 of the Revised Code, shall apply.

(2) If a complaint filed with the Ohio elections commission created under section 3517.152 of the Revised Code alleges an act or failure to act that is a violation of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code, former divisions (A) to (R) of that section apply to the act or failure to act if it occurred before August 24, 1995, former divisions (A) to (U) of that section apply to the act or failure to act if it occurs on or after August 24, 1995, but before July 13, 1998, former divisions (A) to (V) of that section apply to the act or failure to act if it occurs on or after July 13, 1998, but before December 22, 1999, former divisions (A) to (W) of that section apply to the act or failure to act if it occurs on or after December 22, 1999, but before March 31, 2005, former divisions (A) to (X) of that section apply to the act or failure to act if it occurs on or after March 31, 2005, and divisions (A) to (Z) of that section apply to the act or failure to act if it occurs on or after the effective date of this amendment.

(C) The Ohio elections commission created under section 3517.14 of the Revised Code is abolished at the close of business on December 31, 1995.

Section 3517.152 | Ohio elections commission.

• Effective: September 13, 2022
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 224 - 134th General Assembly

(A)(1) There is hereby created the Ohio elections commission consisting of seven members.

Not later than forty-five days after August 24, 1995, the speaker of the house of representatives and the leader in the senate of the political party of which the speaker is a member shall jointly submit to the governor a list of five persons who are affiliated with that political party. Not later than forty-five days after August 24, 1995, the two legislative leaders in the two houses of the general assembly of the major political party of which the speaker is not a member shall jointly submit to the governor a list of five persons who are affiliated with the major political party of which the speaker is not a member. Not later than fifteen days after receiving each list, the governor shall appoint three persons from each list to the commission. The governor shall appoint one person from each list to a term that ends on December 31, 1996, one person from each list to a term that ends on December 31, 1997, and one person from each list to a term that ends on December 31, 1998.

Not later than thirty days after the governor appoints these six members, they shall, by a majority vote, appoint to the commission a seventh member, who shall not be affiliated with a political party. If the six members fail to appoint the seventh member within this thirty-day period, the chief justice of the supreme court, not later than thirty days after the end of the period during which the six members were required to appoint a member, shall appoint the seventh member, who shall not be affiliated with a political party. The seventh member shall be appointed to a term that ends on December 31, 2001. Terms of the initial members appointed under this division begin on January 1, 1996.

(2)(a) If a vacancy occurs in the position of the seventh member, who is not affiliated with a political party, the six remaining members by a majority vote shall appoint, not later than forty-five days after the date of the vacancy, the seventh member of the commission, who shall not be affiliated with a political party. If these members fail to appoint the seventh member within this forty-five-day period, the chief justice of the supreme court, within fifteen days after the end of this period, shall appoint the seventh member, who shall not be affiliated with a political party.

(b) If a vacancy occurs in any of the other six positions on the commission, the legislative leaders of the political party from whose list of persons the member being replaced was appointed shall submit to the governor, not later than thirty days after the date of the vacancy, a list of three persons who are affiliated with that political party. Not later than fifteen days after receiving the list, the governor, with the advice and consent of the senate, shall appoint one person from the list to the commission.

(3)(a) For the purpose of appointing alternates to the commission, not later than forty-five days after the effective date of this section, the speaker of the house of representatives and the leader in the senate of the political party of which the speaker is a member shall jointly submit to the governor a list of three persons who are affiliated with that political party. Not later than forty-five days after the effective date of this section, the two legislative leaders in the two houses of the general assembly of the major political party of which the speaker is not a member shall jointly submit to the governor a list of three persons who are affiliated with the major political party of which the speaker is not a member. Not later than fifteen days after receiving each list, the governor shall appoint one person from each list as an alternate to the commission to a term that ends on December 31, 2026. The initial term described in this division begins upon appointment by the governor. If a vacancy occurs in the position of alternate under this division, the vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as described in division (A)(2)(b) of this section.

(b) For the purpose of appointing an alternate for the seventh member who is not affiliated with a political party, the six members who are affiliated with a political party by a majority vote shall appoint, not later than forty-five days after the effective date of this amendment, the alternate for the seventh member of the commission, who shall not be affiliated with a political party. If these members fail to appoint the alternate for the seventh member within this forty-five-day period, the chief justice of the supreme court, within fifteen days after the end of that period, shall appoint the alternate for the seventh member, who shall not be affiliated with a political party. The seventh member shall be appointed to a term that ends on December 31, 2026. The initial term described in this division begins upon the appointment of the alternate. If a vacancy occurs in the position of alternate for the seventh member who is not affiliated with a political party, the vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as described in division (A)(2)(a) of this section.

(4) At no time shall more than six members of the commission be affiliated with a political party, and, of these six members, not more than three shall be affiliated with the same political party.

(5) In making appointments to the commission, including alternates, the governor shall take into consideration the various geographic areas of this state and shall appoint members and alternates so that those areas are represented on the commission in a balanced manner, to the extent feasible.

(6) Members and alternates of the commission shall be registered electors and shall be of good moral character.

(7) Alternates shall serve on the commission when a member of the commission is recused from hearing a complaint or is otherwise unable to hear a complaint. Alternates shall serve on the commission during a vacancy until the vacancy is filled. An alternate may only serve in lieu of a member affiliated with the same political party as the alternate. The alternate for the unaffiliated seventh member of the commission may only serve in lieu of the unaffiliated seventh member of the commission. When serving in this capacity, alternates count as members of the commission for the purpose of constituting a quorum under division (G)(3) of this section.

(B) Each member and alternate of the Ohio elections commission shall hold office from the date of the member's appointment until the end of the term for which the member was appointed. A member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which the member's predecessor was appointed shall hold office for the remainder of that term. A member shall continue in office subsequent to the expiration date of the member's term until the member's successor takes office or until a period of sixty days has elapsed, whichever occurs first. After the initial terms of office provided for in divisions (A)(1) and (3) of this section, terms of office shall be for five years.

(C) A vacancy in the Ohio elections commission may be caused by death, resignation, or three absences from commission meetings in a calendar year if those absences are caused by reasons declared invalid by a vote of five members of the remaining members of the commission.

(D) Each member of the Ohio elections commission while in the performance of the business of the commission shall be entitled to receive compensation at the rate of twenty-five thousand dollars per year. Members shall be reimbursed for expenses actually and necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties.

Each alternate of the Ohio elections commission, when serving on the commission as described in division (A)(7) of this section, shall be paid at the per diem rate of one hundred fifty dollars, and shall be reimbursed for expenses actually and necessarily incurred in the performance of the alternate's duties.

(E) No member of the Ohio elections commission shall serve more than one full term unless the terms served are served nonconsecutively.

(F)(1) No member or alternate of the Ohio elections commission shall do or be any of the following:

(a) Hold, or be a candidate for, a public office;

(b) Serve on a committee supporting or opposing a candidate or ballot question or issue;

(c) Be an officer of the state central committee, a county central committee, or a district, city, township, or other committee of a political party or an officer of the executive committee of the state central committee, a county central committee, or a district, city, township, or other committee of a political party;

(d) Be a legislative agent as defined in section 101.70 of the Revised Code or an executive agency lobbyist as defined in section 121.60 of the Revised Code;

(e) Solicit or be involved in soliciting contributions on behalf of a candidate, campaign committee, political party, political action committee, or political contributing entity;

(f) Be in the unclassified service under section 124.11 of the Revised Code;

(g) Be a person or employee who is excluded from the definition of public employee pursuant to division (C) of section 4117.01 of the Revised Code.

(2) No member, alternate, or employee of the commission shall make a contribution to, or for the benefit of, a campaign committee or committee in support of or opposition to a ballot question or issue, a political party, a legislative campaign fund, a political action committee, or a political contributing entity.

(G)(1) The members of the Ohio elections commission shall elect a chairperson and a vice-chairperson. At no time shall the chairperson and vice-chairperson be affiliated with the same political party. The chairperson shall serve in that capacity for one year and shall not serve as chairperson more than twice during a term as a member of the commission. No two successive chairpersons shall be affiliated with the same political party.

(2) The commission shall meet at the call of the chairperson or upon the written request of a majority of the members. The meetings and hearings of the commission or a panel of the commission under sections 3517.153 to 3517.157 of the Revised Code are subject to section 121.22 of the Revised Code.

(3) The commission shall adopt rules for its procedures in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code. Five of the seven members constitute a quorum. Except as otherwise provided in this section and in sections 3517.154 to 3517.157 of the Revised Code, no action shall be taken without the concurrence of a majority of the members.

(H)(1) The Ohio elections commission shall employ the technical, professional, and clerical employees that are necessary for it to carry out its duties.

(2)(a) Notwithstanding section 109.02 of the Revised Code, the commission shall employ a full-time attorney, and, as needed, one or more investigatory attorneys to conduct investigations for the commission or a panel of the commission. The commission may employ or contract for the services of additional attorneys, as needed. The full-time attorney shall do all of the following:

(i) Serve as the commission's attorney in regard to all legal matters, including representing the commission at appeals from a final determination of the commission, except that the full-time attorney shall not perform the duties that an investigatory attorney is required or requested to perform or that another attorney the commission employs or contracts with for services is required or requested to perform, and shall not represent the commission in any legal proceeding in which the commission is a named party;

(ii) At the request of the commission or a panel of the commission, be present at a hearing held under sections 3517.154 to 3517.156 of the Revised Code to rule on the admissibility of evidence and to advise on the conduct of procedure;

(iii) Perform other duties as required by rule of the commission.

(b) An attorney employed by or under contract with the commission shall be licensed to practice law in this state.

(3)(a) Except as otherwise provided in division (H)(3)(b) of this section, at least five members of the commission shall agree on the employment of a person, a majority of the members shall agree on the discharge of an employee, and a person employed by the commission shall serve at the pleasure of the commission.

(b) At least five of the seven members shall agree on the discharge of an investigatory attorney.

(I) There is hereby created in the state treasury the Ohio elections commission fund. All moneys credited to the fund shall be used solely for the purpose of paying expenses related to the operation of the Ohio elections commission.

Last updated July 18, 2022 at 9:45 AM

Section 3517.153 | Filing complaint.

• Effective: October 17, 2019
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly

(A) Upon the filing of a complaint with the Ohio elections commission, which shall be made by affidavit of any person, on personal knowledge, and subject to the penalties for perjury, or upon the filing of a complaint made by the secretary of state or an official at the board of elections, setting forth a failure to comply with or a violation of any provision in sections 3517.08 to 3517.13, 3517.20 to 3517.22, 3599.03, or 3599.031 of the Revised Code, the commission shall proceed in accordance with sections 3517.154 to 3517.157 of the Revised Code.

(B) The commission shall prescribe the form for complaints made under division (A) of this section. The secretary of state and boards of elections shall furnish the information that the commission requests. The commission or a member of the commission may administer oaths, and the commission may issue subpoenas to any person in the state compelling the attendance of witnesses and the production of relevant papers, books, accounts, and reports. Section 101.42 of the Revised Code governs the issuance of subpoenas insofar as applicable. Upon the refusal of any person to obey a subpoena or to be sworn or to answer as a witness, the commission may apply to the court of common pleas of Franklin county under section 2705.03 of the Revised Code. The court shall hold proceedings in accordance with Chapter 2705. of the Revised Code.

(C) No prosecution shall commence for 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 unless a complaint has been filed with the commission under this section and all proceedings of the commission or a panel of the commission, as appropriate, under sections 3517.154 to 3517.157 of the Revised Code are completed.

(D) The commission may recommend legislation and render advisory opinions concerning sections 3517.08, 3517.082, 3517.092, 3517.102, 3517.105, 3517.1014, 3517.13, 3517.20 to 3517.22, 3599.03, and 3599.031 of the Revised Code for persons over whose acts it has or may have jurisdiction. When the commission renders an advisory opinion relating to a specific set of circumstances involving any of those sections stating that there is no violation of a provision in those sections, the person to whom the opinion is directed or a person who is similarly situated may reasonably rely on the opinion and is immune from criminal prosecution and a civil action, including, without limitation, a civil action for removal from public office or employment, based on facts and circumstances covered by the opinion.

(E) The commission shall establish a web site on which it shall post, at a minimum, all decisions and advisory opinions issued by the commission and copies of each election law as it is amended by the general assembly. The commission shall update the web site regularly to reflect any changes to those decisions and advisory opinions and any new decisions and advisory opinions.

Section 3517.154 | Review of complaint.

• Effective: September 29, 2013
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 59 - 130th General Assembly

(A)(1) The full-time attorney for the Ohio elections commission shall review each complaint filed with the commission under section 3517.153 of the Revised Code, shall determine the nature of the complaint, and, unless division (A)(2)(a) of this section requires that the complaint receive an automatic expedited hearing, shall make a recommendation to the commission for its disposition, in accordance with this section. The attorney shall make the determination and the recommendation, if required, not later than one business day after the complaint is filed.

(2)(a) If the attorney determines that the complaint sets forth a violation of division (B) of section 3517.21 or division (B) of section 3517.22 of the Revised Code and that the complaint is filed during one of the periods of time specified in division (B)(1) of section 3517.156 of the Revised Code, the complaint shall receive an automatic expedited hearing under section 3517.156 of the Revised Code.

(b) If the attorney determines that the complaint sets forth a failure to comply with or a violation of division (G), (I), (J), (O), (P), or (Q) of section 3517.13, division (A) of section 3517.21, or division (A) of section 3517.22 of the Revised Code and that the complaint is filed during one of the periods of time specified in division (B)(1) of section 3517.156 of the Revised Code, the attorney shall recommend to the commission that the complaint receive an expedited hearing under section 3517.156 of the Revised Code, and the complaint shall receive such a hearing.

(c) If the attorney determines that the complaint sets forth a failure to comply with or a violation of a section of the Revised Code over which the commission has jurisdiction to hear complaints other than the sections described in divisions (A)(2)(a) and (b) of this section, and unless the attorney makes a determination as provided for in division (A)(3) of this section, the attorney shall recommend to the commission that the complaint be submitted to the commission under section 3517.155 of the Revised Code. After the attorney makes that recommendation, the attorney shall notify all parties to the complaint of the attorney's recommendation.

(3)(a) If a complaint sets forth a failure to comply with or a violation of a section of the Revised Code over which the commission has jurisdiction to hear complaints other than the sections described in divisions (A)(2)(a) and (b) of this section and if the complaint is filed during one of the periods of time specified in division (B)(1) of section 3517.156 of the Revised Code, the attorney may determine that the complaint should receive an expedited hearing under that section. The attorney shall make that determination by considering one or more of the following:

(i) The number of prior failures to comply with or violations of Title XXXV of the Revised Code that the person or entity against whom the complaint has been brought has committed and any prior penalties the commission has imposed on the person or entity;

(ii) If the complaint involves a statement required to be filed under section 3517.10, division (E) of section 3517.102, or section 3517.105, 3517.107, 3517.108, 3517.109, 3517.1011, 3517.1012, or 3517.1014 of the Revised Code or an addendum required to be filed under section 3517.11 of the Revised Code that is filed late, how late the filing is and how much time has elapsed between the deadline for filing the statement or addendum and the filing of the complaint;

(iii) If the complaint involves contributions and expenditures, contributions and disbursements, deposits and disbursements, gifts and disbursements, or donations and disbursements required to be reported under section 3517.10, division (E) of section 3517.102, or section 3517.105, 3517.107, 3517.108, 3517.109, 3517.1011, 3517.1012, 3517.1013, or 3517.1014 of the Revised Code that are either not reported or reported late, the number of contributions and expenditures, contributions and disbursements, deposits and disbursements, gifts and disbursements, or donations and disbursements not reported or how late they were reported;

(iv) If the complaint involves contributions required to be reported by a campaign committee under section 3517.10, division (E) of section 3517.102, or section 3517.105, 3517.107, 3517.108, or 3517.109 of the Revised Code that are not reported, whether any of the contributors of the contributions not reported have a personal or professional relationship with the campaign committee's candidate;

(v) If the complaint involves a statement required to be filed under section 3517.10, division (E) of section 3517.102, or section 3517.105, 3517.107, 3517.108, 3517.109, 3517.1011, 3517.1012, 3517.1013, or 3517.1014 of the Revised Code that is incomplete, the degree to which it is incomplete;

(vi) If the complaint involves the receipt of contributions in violation of section 3599.03 of the Revised Code, the dollar amount and number of contributions received in violation of that section;

(vii) If the complaint involves a failure to make the identification or a misstatement of the identification required under section 3517.105 or 3517.20 of the Revised Code, whether the failure or misstatement was purposely made;

(viii) If the complaint sets forth a failure to comply with or a violation of a section of the Revised Code described in division (A)(2)(c) of this section, whether the person or entity against whom the complaint has been made has committed more than one such failure or violation within a reasonable amount of time, or whether the cumulative nature of the failures or violations indicates a systematic disregard for the law.

(b) Prior to making a determination under division (A)(3)(a) of this section that the complaint should receive an expedited hearing under section 3517.156 of the Revised Code, the attorney shall take into consideration the number of panels of the commission that have cases pending before them and the number of cases pending before the panels and shall not make a determination that will place an undue burden on a panel of the commission.

(c) If the attorney determines that the complaint should receive an expedited hearing under section 3517.156 of the Revised Code, the attorney shall recommend to the commission that the complaint receive an expedited hearing, and, if a majority of the members of the commission agrees with the recommendation, the complaint shall receive an expedited hearing under that section.

(4) The attorney may join two or more complaints if the attorney determines that the allegations in each complaint are of the same or similar character, are based on the same act or failure to act, or are based on two or more acts or failures to act constituting parts of a common scheme or plan. If one complaint contains two or more allegations, the attorney may separate the allegations if they are not of the same or similar character, if they are not based on the same act or failure to act, or if they are not based on two or more acts or failures to act constituting parts of a common scheme or plan. If the attorney separates the allegations in a complaint, the attorney may make separate recommendations under division (A)(2) or (3) of this section for each allegation.

(B) Whenever a person or other entity files a complaint with the commission setting forth a failure to comply with or a violation of a section of the Revised Code as described in division (A)(2)(c) of this section and the complaint is filed during one of the periods of time specified in division (B)(1) of section 3517.156 of the Revised Code, the person or entity may request an expedited hearing under that section at the time the complaint is filed. The attorney for the commission shall inform the members of the commission of that request at the time the attorney makes a recommendation under division (A) of this section. The commission may grant the request for an expedited hearing under this division if it determines that an expedited hearing is practicable.

Section 3517.155 | Hearing on complaint.

• Effective: September 29, 2013
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 59 - 130th General Assembly

(A)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (B) of this section, the Ohio elections commission shall hold its first hearing on a complaint filed with it, other than a complaint that receives an expedited hearing under section 3517.156 of the Revised Code, not later than ninety business days after the complaint is filed unless the commission has good cause to hold the hearing after that time, in which case it shall hold the hearing not later than one hundred eighty business days after the complaint is filed. At the hearing, the commission shall determine whether or not the failure to act or the violation alleged in the complaint has occurred and shall do only one of the following, except as otherwise provided in division (B) of this section or in division (B) of section 3517.151 of the Revised Code:

(a) Enter a finding that good cause has been shown not to impose a fine or not to refer the matter to the appropriate prosecutor;

(b) Impose a fine under section 3517.993 of the Revised Code;

(c) Refer the matter to the appropriate prosecutor ;

(2) As used in division (A) of this section, "appropriate prosecutor" means a prosecutor as defined in section 2935.01 of the Revised Code and either of the following:

(a) In the case of a failure to comply with or a violation of law involving a campaign committee or the committee's candidate, a political party, a legislative campaign fund, a political action committee, or a political contributing entity, that is required to file a statement of contributions and expenditures with the secretary of state under division (A) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the prosecutor of Franklin county;

(b) In the case of a failure to comply with or a violation of law involving any other campaign committee or committee's candidate, or any other political party, political action committee, or political contributing entity either of the following as determined by the commission:

(i) The prosecutor of Franklin county;

(ii) The prosecutor of the county in which the candidacy or ballot question or issue is submitted to the electors or, if it is submitted in more than one county, the most populous of those counties.

(B) If the commission decides that the evidence is insufficient for it to determine whether or not the failure to act or the violation alleged in the complaint has occurred, the commission, by the affirmative vote of five members, may request that an investigatory attorney investigate the complaint. Upon that request, an investigatory attorney shall make an investigation in order to produce sufficient evidence for the commission to decide the matter. If the commission requests an investigation under this division, for good cause shown by the investigatory attorney, the commission may extend by sixty days the deadline for holding its first hearing on the complaint as required in division (A) of this section.

(C) The commission shall take one of the actions required under division (A) of this section not later than thirty days after the close of all the evidence presented.

(D)(1) The commission shall make any finding of a failure to comply with or a violation of law in regard to a complaint that alleges a violation of division (A) or (B) of section 3517.21, or division (A) or (B) of section 3517.22 of the Revised Code by clear and convincing evidence. The commission shall make any finding of a failure to comply with or a violation of law in regard to any other complaint by a preponderance of the evidence.

(2) If the commission finds a violation of division (B) of section 3517.21 or division (B) of section 3517.22 of the Revised Code, it shall refer the matter to the appropriate prosecutor under division (A)(1)(c) of this section and shall not impose a fine under division (A)(1)(b) of this section or section 3517.993 of the Revised Code.

(E) In an action before the commission or a panel of the commission, if the allegations of the complainant are not proved, and the commission takes the action described in division (A)(1)(a) of this section or a panel of the commission takes the action described in division (C)(1) of section 3517.156 of the Revised Code, the commission or a panel of the commission may find that the complaint is frivolous, and, if the commission or panel so finds, the commission shall order the complainant to pay reasonable attorney's fees and to pay the costs of the commission or panel as determined by a majority of the members of the commission. The costs paid to the commission or panel under this division shall be deposited into the Ohio elections commission fund.

Section 3517.156 | Probable cause hearing.

• Effective: December 22, 1999
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 119 - 123rd General Assembly

(A) If a complaint filed with the Ohio elections commission is to receive an expedited hearing pursuant to section 3517.154 of the Revised Code, a panel of at least three members of the commission shall hold a hearing on the complaint to determine whether there is probable cause to refer the matter to the full commission for a hearing under section 3517.155 of the Revised Code. Not more than one-half of the members of a panel shall be affiliated with the same political party. The chairperson of the commission shall call for the selection of a panel, as needed, and shall select the members of the panel by lot.

(B)(1) Except as otherwise provided in section 3517.154 of the Revised Code and divisions (B)(2) and (3) of this section, the panel shall hold one expedited hearing on a complaint forwarded to it by the commission for an expedited hearing in accordance with this division. If a complaint is filed on or after the sixtieth day prior to a primary or special election or on or after the ninetieth day prior to the general election, but not later than the day of the primary, special, or general election to which the complaint relates, the hearing shall be held not later than two business days after the determination required to be made under division (A) of section 3517.154 of the Revised Code is made, unless the panel has good cause to hold the hearing after that time, in which case it shall hold the hearing not later than seven business days after that determination is made. All members of the panel shall be present before any official action may be taken, and a majority vote of the panel is required for any official action.

(2) The commission shall hold a hearing on a complaint that is filed prior to the periods of time specified in division (B)(1) of this section, or filed after the date of the election to which the complaint relates, at the times specified for hearing complaints in section 3517.155 of the Revised Code.

(3) The deadlines provided for in division (B)(1) of this section may be extended by agreement of all parties to the complaint but shall not be extended beyond the deadlines provided for in division (A) of section 3517.155 of the Revised Code.

(C) At the expedited hearing held under division (B)(1) of this section, the panel shall make only one of the following determinations:

(1) There is no probable cause to believe that the failure to comply with or the violation of a law alleged in the complaint has occurred. If the panel so determines, it shall dismiss the complaint.

(2) There is probable cause to believe that the failure to comply with or the violation of a law alleged in the complaint has occurred. If the panel so determines, it shall refer the complaint to the full commission, and the commission shall hold a hearing on the complaint under section 3517.155 of the Revised Code not later than ten days after the complaint is referred to it by the panel.

(3) The evidence is insufficient for the panel to make a determination under division (C)(1) or (2) of this section and further investigation of the complaint is necessary. If the panel so determines, it immediately shall request that an investigatory attorney investigate the complaint, and an investigatory attorney shall make an investigation in order to produce sufficient evidence upon which to decide the matter. If the panel requests that an investigatory attorney make an investigation, the complaint shall be referred to the full commission, and the commission shall hold a hearing on the complaint under section 3517.155 of the Revised Code.

(D) No panel of the commission shall impose a fine.

(E) If the panel dismisses the complaint under division (C)(1) of this section, the person who made the complaint may petition the full commission to reconsider the dismissal at a hearing under section 3517.155 of the Revised Code. A petition for reconsideration shall be filed not later than two business days after the dismissal of the complaint. The commission shall render its decision on the petition not later than three business days after receiving the petition. If the petition for reconsideration is granted, the commission shall hold a hearing on the complaint under section 3517.155 of the Revised Code not later than five business days after granting the petition.

If the petition for reconsideration is not granted, the commission shall order the person who filed the complaint to pay reasonable attorney's fees and to pay the costs of the panel that dismissed the complaint as determined by a majority of the members of the commission. The costs paid to the commission under this division shall be deposited into the Ohio elections commission fund.

(F) As used in this section, "expedited hearing" includes an automatic expedited hearing as prescribed in section 3517.154 of the Revised Code.

Section 3517.157 | Time limit for complaint.

• Effective: August 24, 1995
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 9 - 121st General Assembly

(A) A complaint shall be filed with the Ohio elections commission within two years after the occurrence of the act or failure to act that is the subject of the complaint, except that if the act or failure to act involves fraud, concealment, or misrepresentation and was not discovered during that two-year period, a complaint may be filed within one year after discovery of such act or failure to act.

(B) Whoever files a complaint with the commission under section 3517.153 of the Revised Code may withdraw it at the following times:

(1) If the complaint receives an expedited hearing under section 3517.156 of the Revised Code, at any time prior to the hearing without the permission of the commission, or at any time after the hearing begins but only with the permission of the commission;

(2) If the complaint does not receive an expedited hearing, at any time.

(C) The commission may dismiss a complaint pending before it or before a panel of the commission.

(D) The commission or a panel of the commission shall conduct hearings in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code and the Rules of Civil Procedure, except as they are inconsistent with rules adopted by the commission. A party adversely affected by a final determination of the commission may appeal from the determination under section 119.12 of the Revised Code.

(E) The privilege granted to an attorney under section 2317.02 of the Revised Code shall be granted to the full-time attorney employed by the commission under division (H)(2) of section 3517.152 of the Revised Code, and the commission or a panel of the commission shall be considered the client of that attorney for purposes of that privilege.

(F) The members of the commission shall not do either of the following except at a meeting of the commission subject to section 121.22 of the Revised Code:

(1) Discuss among themselves a complaint pending before the commission or a panel of the commission;

(2) Discuss a complaint pending before the commission or a panel of the commission with a party to the complaint, an attorney representing a party to the complaint, or an investigatory attorney of the commission.

Section 3517.19 | Sale of membership and mailing lists.

• Effective: October 30, 1989
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 6 - 118th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Financial institution" means a bank, savings and loan association, or credit union with its principal office in this state.

(2) "Political party" means only a major political party.

(B) A state political party may sell or lease its contributor, membership, or mailing lists, or any other lists upon which the party and a financial institution may agree, to any financial institution for either or both of the following purposes:

(1) Allowing the financial institution to use the name or logo of the political party on credit cards that it issues to persons identified on or through the contributor, membership, mailing, or other lists;

(2) Allowing the financial institution to use the name and goodwill of the political party in marketing its credit card program to persons identified on or through the contributor, membership, mailing, or other lists.

Section 3517.20 | Political communications; identification of source.

• Effective: October 3, 2023
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 33 - 135th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Political publication for or against a candidate" means a notice, placard, advertisement, sample ballot, brochure, flyer, direct mailer, or other form of general publication that is designed to promote the nomination, election, or defeat of a candidate.

(2) "Political publication for or against an issue" means a notice, placard, advertisement, sample ballot, brochure, flyer, direct mailer, or other form of general publication that is designed to promote the adoption or defeat of a ballot issue or question or to influence the voters in an election.

(3) "Public political advertising" means newspapers, magazines, outdoor advertising facilities, direct mailings, or other similar types of general public political advertising, or flyers, handbills, or other nonperiodical printed matter.

(4) "Statewide candidate" has the same meaning as in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code.

(5) "Legislative candidate" means a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly.

(6) "Local candidate" means a candidate for an elective office of a political subdivision of this state.

(7) "Legislative campaign fund" has the same meaning as in section 3517.01 of the Revised Code.

(8) "Limited political action committee" means a political action committee of fewer than ten members.

(9) "Limited political contributing entity" means a political contributing entity of fewer than ten members.

(10) "Designated amount" means one hundred dollars in the case of a local candidate or a local ballot issue, two hundred fifty dollars in the case of a legislative candidate, or five hundred dollars in the case of a statewide candidate or a statewide ballot issue.

(11) "To issue" includes to print, post, distribute, reproduce for distribution, or cause to be issued, printed, posted, distributed, or reproduced for distribution.

(12) "Telephone bank" means more than five hundred telephone calls of an identical or substantially similar nature within any thirty-day period, whether those telephone calls are made by individual callers or by recording.

(B)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (B)(2) of this section, no entity shall do any of the following unless the name of the entity appears in a conspicuous place on or is contained or included within the publication, communication, or telephone call:

(a) Issue a form of political publication in support of or opposition to a candidate or a ballot issue or question;

(b) Make an expenditure for the purpose of financing political communications in support of or opposition to a candidate or a ballot issue or question through public political advertising;

(c) Utter or cause to be uttered, over the broadcasting facilities of any radio or television station within this state, any communication in support of or opposition to a candidate or a ballot issue or question or any communication that is designed to influence the voters in an election;

(d) Conduct a telephone bank for the purpose of supporting or opposing a candidate or a ballot issue or question or for the purpose of influencing the voters in an election.

(2) A limited political action committee or limited political contributing entity may do any of the following without including its name in the publication or communication:

(a) Issue a form of political publication in support of or opposition to a candidate or a ballot issue or question that does not cost in excess of the designated amount or that is not issued in cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate, a campaign committee, a legislative campaign fund, a political party, a political action committee with ten or more members, a political contributing entity with ten or more members, or a limited political action committee or limited political contributing entity that spends in excess of the designated amount on a related or the same or similar political publication in support of or opposition to a candidate or a ballot issue or question;

(b) Make an expenditure that is not in excess of the designated amount in support of or opposition to a candidate or a ballot issue or question or make an expenditure that is not made in cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate, a campaign committee, a legislative campaign fund, a political party, a political action committee with ten or more members, a political contributing entity with ten or more members, or a limited political action committee or limited political contributing entity that spends in excess of the designated amount in support of or opposition to the same candidate or a ballot issue or question, for the purpose of financing political communications in support of or opposition to that candidate or a ballot issue or question through public political advertising.

(C) If more than one piece of printed matter or printed political communications are mailed as a single packet, the requirements of division (B) of this section are met if one of the pieces of printed matter or printed political communications in the packet contains the name of the organization or entity that issues or is responsible for the printed matter or other printed political communications.

(D) This section does not apply to the transmittal of personal correspondence that is not reproduced by machine for general distribution.

(E) The secretary of state, by rule, may exempt from the requirements of this section, printed matter and certain other kinds of printed communications such as campaign buttons, balloons, pencils, or similar items, the size or nature of which makes it unreasonable to add an identification or disclaimer.

(F) The disclaimer or identification described in division (B) of this section, when paid for by a candidate, legislative campaign fund, or campaign committee, shall be identified by the words "paid for by" followed by the name of the entity. The identification or disclaimer may use reasonable abbreviations for common terms such as "committee."

The disclaimer "paid political advertisement" is not sufficient to meet the requirements of this section.

(G)(1) No person operating a broadcast station or an organ of printed media shall broadcast or print a paid political communication that does not contain the identification required by this section.

(2) Division (B)(1)(c) of this section does not apply to any communications made on behalf of a radio or television station or network by any employee of such radio or television station or network while acting in the course of the employee's employment.

(H)(1) No candidate or entity shall use or cause to be used a false, fictitious, or fraudulent name or address in the making or issuing of a publication or communication included within the provisions of this section.

(2) No political action committee or political contributing entity shall use or cause to be used, in the making or issuing of a publication or communication included within the provisions of this section, a name or address that would lead a reasonable person to believe that the publication or communication is made by or on behalf of a county political party, unless the political action committee or political contributing committee has obtained a written statement, signed by the chairperson of the county political party's executive committee, granting the political action committee or political contributing entity permission to act on behalf of or represent the county political party.

(I) Before a prosecution may commence under this section, a complaint shall be filed with the Ohio elections commission under section 3517.153 of the Revised Code. After the complaint is filed, the commission shall proceed in accordance with sections 3517.154 to 3517.157 of the Revised Code.

Last updated September 6, 2023 at 11:36 AM

Section 3517.21 | Infiltration of campaign - false statements in campaign materials - election of candidate.

• Effective: August 24, 1995
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 9 - 121st General Assembly

(A) No person, during the course of any campaign for nomination or election to public office or office of a political party, shall knowingly and with intent to affect the outcome of such campaign do any of the following:

(1) Serve, or place another person to serve, as an agent or employee in the election campaign organization of a candidate for the purpose of acting to impede the conduct of the candidate's campaign for nomination or election or of reporting information to the employee's employer or the agent's principal without the knowledge of the candidate or the candidate's organization;

(2) Promise, offer, or give any valuable thing or valuable benefit to any person who is employed by or is an agent of a candidate or a candidate's election campaign organization for the purpose of influencing the employee or agent with respect to the improper discharge of the employee's or agent's campaign duties or to obtain information about the candidate or the candidate's campaign organization.

(B) No person, during the course of any campaign for nomination or election to public office or office of a political party, by means of campaign materials, including sample ballots, an advertisement on radio or television or in a newspaper or periodical, a public speech, press release, or otherwise, shall knowingly and with intent to affect the outcome of such campaign do any of the following:

(1) Use the title of an office not currently held by a candidate in a manner that implies that the candidate does currently hold that office or use the term "re-elect" when the candidate has never been elected at a primary, general, or special election to the office for which he or she is a candidate;

(2) Make a false statement concerning the formal schooling or training completed or attempted by a candidate; a degree, diploma, certificate, scholarship, grant, award, prize, or honor received, earned, or held by a candidate; or the period of time during which a candidate attended any school, college, community technical school, or institution;

(3) Make a false statement concerning the professional, occupational, or vocational licenses held by a candidate, or concerning any position the candidate held for which the candidate received a salary or wages;

(4) Make a false statement that a candidate or public official has been indicted or convicted of a theft offense, extortion, or other crime involving financial corruption or moral turpitude;

(5) Make a statement that a candidate has been indicted for any crime or has been the subject of a finding by the Ohio elections commission without disclosing the outcome of any legal proceedings resulting from the indictment or finding;

(6) Make a false statement that a candidate or official has a record of treatment or confinement for mental disorder;

(7) Make a false statement that a candidate or official has been subjected to military discipline for criminal misconduct or dishonorably discharged from the armed services;

(8) Falsely identify the source of a statement, issue statements under the name of another person without authorization, or falsely state the endorsement of or opposition to a candidate by a person or publication;

(9) Make a false statement concerning the voting record of a candidate or public official;

(10) Post, publish, circulate, distribute, or otherwise disseminate a false statement concerning a candidate, either knowing the same to be false or with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not, if the statement is designed to promote the election, nomination, or defeat of the candidate.

As used in this section, "voting record" means the recorded "yes" or "no" vote on a bill, ordinance, resolution, motion, amendment, or confirmation.

(C) Before a prosecution may commence under this section, a complaint shall be filed with the Ohio elections commission under section 3517.153 of the Revised Code. After the complaint is filed, the commission shall proceed in accordance with sections 3517.154 to 3517.157 of the Revised Code.

Section 3517.22 | Infiltration of campaign - false statements in campaign materials - issues.

• Effective: August 24, 1995
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 9 - 121st General Assembly

(A) No person during the course of any campaign in advocacy of or in opposition to the adoption of any proposition or issue submitted to the voters shall knowingly and with intent to affect the outcome of such campaign do any of the following:

(1) Serve, or place another person to serve, as an agent or employee in the election campaign organization of a committee which advocates or is in opposition to the adoption of any ballot proposition or issue for the purpose of acting to impede the conduct of the campaign on the proposition or issue or of reporting information to the employee's employer or the agent's principal without the knowledge of the committee;

(2) Promise, offer, or give any valuable thing or valuable benefit to any person who is employed by or is an agent of a committee in advocacy of or in opposition to the adoption of any ballot proposition or issue, for the purpose of influencing the employee or agent with respect to the improper discharge of the employee's or agent's campaign duties or to obtain information about the committee's campaign organization.

(B) No person, during the course of any campaign in advocacy of or in opposition to the adoption of any ballot proposition or issue, by means of campaign material, including sample ballots, an advertisement on radio or television or in a newspaper or periodical, a public speech, a press release, or otherwise, shall knowingly and with intent to affect the outcome of such campaign do any of the following:

(1) Falsely identify the source of a statement, issue statements under the name of another person without authorization, or falsely state the endorsement of or opposition to a ballot proposition or issue by a person or publication;

(2) Post, publish, circulate, distribute, or otherwise disseminate, a false statement, either knowing the same to be false or acting with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not, that is designed to promote the adoption or defeat of any ballot proposition or issue.

(C) Before a prosecution may commence under this section, a complaint shall be filed with the Ohio elections commission under section 3517.153 of the Revised Code. After the complaint is filed, the commission shall proceed in accordance with sections 3517.154 to 3517.157 of the Revised Code.

Section 3517.23 | Rules for administration of campaign finance and advertising.

• Effective: October 17, 2019
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly

The secretary of state shall adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code that are necessary for the administration and enforcement of sections 3517.08 to 3517.13, 3517.18, 3517.20 to 3517.22, 3599.03, and 3599.031 of the Revised Code and shall provide each candidate, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, political party, and person making disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications with written instructions and explanations in order to ensure compliance with sections 3517.08 to 3517.13, 3517.20 to 3517.22, 3599.03, and 3599.031 of the Revised Code.

Section 3517.99 | Penalty.

• Effective: October 17, 2019
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly

This section establishes penalties only with respect to acts or failures to act that occur before August 24, 1995.

(A) Any candidate whose campaign committee violates division (A)(1) or (2) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined one thousand dollars for each day of violation.

(B) Any candidate whose campaign committee violates division (B) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code, any political party that violates division (F)(1) of section 3517.101 of the Revised Code, or any person who violates division (E) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined one hundred dollars for each day of violation.

(C) Any candidate whose campaign committee violates division (C) or (D) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined twenty-five dollars for each day of violation.

(D) Whoever violates division (F)(2) of section 3517.101 or division (G) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than ten thousand dollars, or if the offender is a person who was nominated or elected to public office, the offender shall forfeit the nomination or the office to which the offender was nominated, elected, or both.

(E) Whoever violates division (F) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount contributed.

(F) Whoever violates division (H) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.

(G) Whoever violates division (O), (P), or (Q) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.

(H) Any state or county committee of a political party that violates division (B)(1) of section 3517.18 of the Revised Code as that section existed before its repeal by H.B. 166 of the 133rd general assembly shall be fined an amount equal to twice the amount of the improper expenditure.

(I) Any state or county political party that violates division (G) of section 3517.101 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to twice the amount of the improper expenditure or use.

(J)(1) Any individual who violates division (B)(1) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code and knows that the contribution the individual makes violates that division shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount contributed in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(2) Any political action committee that violates division (B)(2) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount contributed in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(3) Any campaign committee that violates division (B)(3) or (5) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount contributed in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(4) Any legislative campaign fund that violates division (B)(6) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code, and any state political party, county political party, or state candidate fund of a state political party or county political party that violates division (B)(6) of that section, shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount transferred or contributed in excess of the amount permitted by those divisions, as applicable.

(5) A political party that violates division (B)(4) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount contributed in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(6) Notwithstanding divisions (J)(1), (2), (3), (4), and (5) of this section, no fine shall be imposed if the excess amount contributed meets either of the following conditions:

(a) It is completely refunded within five business days after it is accepted.

(b) It is less than or equal to the amount permitted under division (B)(1), (2), (3), (4), (5), or (6) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code, whichever is applicable, and the excess is completely refunded within ten business days after notification to the recipient of the contribution by the board of elections or the secretary of state that a contribution in excess of the permitted amount has been received.

(K)(1) Any campaign committee that violates division (C)(1), (2), (3), or (6) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(2) Any state or county political party that violates division (C)(4) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount from its state candidate fund equal to three times the amount accepted in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(3) Any legislative campaign fund that violates division (C)(5) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(4) Any political action committee that violates division (C)(7) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(5) Notwithstanding divisions (K)(1), (2), (3), and (4) of this section, no fine shall be imposed if the excess accepted meets either of the following conditions:

(a) It is completely refunded within five business days after its acceptance.

(b) It is less than or equal to the amount permitted under division (C)(1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), or (7) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code, whichever is applicable, and the excess is completely refunded within ten business days after notification to the recipient of the contribution by the board of elections or the secretary of state that a contribution in excess of the permitted amount has been received.

(L)(1) Any legislative campaign fund that violates division (F)(1) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined twenty-five dollars for each day of violation.

(2) Any legislative campaign fund that violates division (F)(2) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall give to the treasurer of state for deposit into the state treasury to the credit of the Ohio elections commission fund all excess contributions not disposed of as required by division (E) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code.

(M) Whoever violates section 3517.105 of the Revised Code shall be fined one thousand dollars.

(N)(1) Whoever solicits a contribution in violation of section 3517.092 or violates division (B) of section 3517.09 of the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.

(2) Whoever knowingly accepts a contribution in violation of division (B) or (C) of section 3517.092 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted in violation of either of those divisions and shall return to the contributor any amount so accepted. Whoever unknowingly accepts a contribution in violation of division (B) or (C) of section 3517.092 of the Revised Code shall return to the contributor any amount so accepted.

(O) Whoever violates division (S) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount of funds transferred or three times the value of the assets transferred in violation of that division.

(P) Any campaign committee that accepts a contribution or contributions in violation of section 3517.108 of the Revised Code, uses a contribution in violation of that section, or fails to dispose of excess contributions in violation of that section shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted, used, or kept in violation of that section.

(Q) Any political party, state candidate fund, legislative candidate fund, or campaign committee that violates division (T) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount contributed or accepted in violation of that section.

(R) Any campaign committee that fails to file the declaration of filing-day finances required by division (F) of section 3517.109 of the Revised Code shall be fined twenty-five dollars for each day of violation.

(S) Any campaign committee that fails to dispose of contributions under divisions (B) and (C) of section 3517.109 of the Revised Code shall give to the treasurer of state for deposit to the credit of the Ohio elections commission fund created under division (E)(2) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code all contributions not disposed of pursuant to those divisions.

Section 3517.991 | Fine schedule for violations before 8-24-95.

• Effective: August 24, 1995
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 9 - 121st General Assembly

This section authorizes fines to be imposed only with respect to acts or failures to act that occur before the effective date of this amendment.

The Ohio elections commission shall impose the fines established in the schedule of fines adopted by the commission created under section 3517.14 of the Revised Code that is in effect immediately prior to the effective date of this amendment. Fines imposed for violations occurring before an election shall be at least twice the amount of those for violations occurring after an election. The schedule of fines so established shall take into account the need for different levels of penalties depending on the level of office being sought and shall not exceed the fines for the same offenses specified in sections 3517.99, 3599.03, and 3599.031 of the Revised Code, or if not so specified shall not exceed one thousand dollars. Fines imposed by the commission under this section shall be paid into the general revenue fund.

Section 3517.992 | Penalties for violations on or after 8-24-95.

• Effective: October 17, 2019
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly

This section establishes penalties only with respect to acts or failures to act that occur on and after August 24, 1995.

(A)(1) A candidate whose campaign committee violates division (A), (B), (C), (D), or (V) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code, or a treasurer of a campaign committee who violates any of those divisions, shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars for each day of violation.

(2) Whoever violates division (E) or (X)(5) of section 3517.13 or division (E)(1) of section 3517.1014 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars for each day of violation.

(B) An entity that violates division (G)(1) of section 3517.101 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars for each day of violation.

(C) Whoever violates division (G)(2) of section 3517.101, division (G) of section 3517.13, or division (E)(2) or (3) of section 3517.1014 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than ten thousand dollars or, if the offender is a person who was nominated or elected to public office, shall forfeit the nomination or the office to which the offender was elected, or both.

(D) Whoever violates division (F) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than three times the amount contributed.

(E) Whoever violates division (H) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars.

(F) Whoever violates division (O), (P), or (Q) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.

(G) A state or county committee of a political party that violates division (B)(1) of section 3517.18 of the Revised Code as that section existed before its repeal by H.B. 166 of the 133rd general assembly shall be fined not more than twice the amount of the improper expenditure.

(H) An entity that violates division (H) of section 3517.101 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than twice the amount of the improper expenditure or use.

(I)(1) Any individual who violates division (B)(1) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code and knows that the contribution the individual makes violates that division shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount contributed in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(2) Any political action committee that violates division (B)(2) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount contributed in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(3) Any campaign committee that violates division (B)(3) or (5) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount contributed in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(4)(a) Any legislative campaign fund that violates division (B)(6) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount transferred or contributed in excess of the amount permitted by that division, as applicable.

(b) Any state political party, county political party, or state candidate fund of a state political party or county political party that violates division (B)(6) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount transferred or contributed in excess of the amount permitted by that division, as applicable.

(c) Any political contributing entity that violates division (B)(7) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount contributed in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(5) Any political party that violates division (B)(4) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount contributed in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(6) Notwithstanding divisions (I)(1), (2), (3), (4), and (5) of this section, no violation of division (B) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code occurs, and the secretary of state shall not refer parties to the Ohio elections commission, if the amount transferred or contributed in excess of the amount permitted by that division meets either of the following conditions:

(a) It is completely refunded within five business days after it is accepted.

(b) It is completely refunded on or before the tenth business day after notification to the recipient of the excess transfer or contribution by the board of elections or the secretary of state that a transfer or contribution in excess of the permitted amount has been received.

(J)(1) Any campaign committee that violates division (C)(1), (2), (3), or (6) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(2)(a) Any county political party that violates division (C)(4)(a)(ii) or (iii) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted.

(b) Any county political party that violates division (C)(4)(a)(i) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount from its state candidate fund equal to three times the amount accepted in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(c) Any state political party that violates division (C)(4)(b) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount from its state candidate fund equal to three times the amount accepted in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(3) Any legislative campaign fund that violates division (C)(5) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(4) Any political action committee or political contributing entity that violates division (C)(7) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(5) Notwithstanding divisions (J)(1), (2), (3), and (4) of this section, no violation of division (C) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code occurs, and the secretary of state shall not refer parties to the Ohio elections commission, if the amount transferred or contributed in excess of the amount permitted to be accepted by that division meets either of the following conditions:

(a) It is completely refunded within five business days after its acceptance.

(b) It is completely refunded on or before the tenth business day after notification to the recipient of the excess transfer or contribution by the board of elections or the secretary of state that a transfer or contribution in excess of the permitted amount has been received.

(K)(1) Any legislative campaign fund that violates division (F)(1) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined twenty-five dollars for each day of violation.

(2) Any legislative campaign fund that violates division (F)(2) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall give to the treasurer of state for deposit into the state treasury to the credit of the Ohio elections commission fund all excess contributions not disposed of as required by division (E) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code.

(L) Whoever violates section 3517.105 of the Revised Code shall be fined one thousand dollars.

(M)(1) Whoever solicits a contribution in violation of section 3517.092 or violates division (B) of section 3517.09 of the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.

(2) Whoever knowingly accepts a contribution in violation of division (B) or (C) of section 3517.092 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted in violation of either of those divisions and shall return to the contributor any amount so accepted. Whoever unknowingly accepts a contribution in violation of division (B) or (C) of section 3517.092 of the Revised Code shall return to the contributor any amount so accepted.

(N) Whoever violates division (S) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount of funds transferred or three times the value of the assets transferred in violation of that division.

(O) Any campaign committee that accepts a contribution or contributions in violation of section 3517.108 of the Revised Code, uses a contribution in violation of that section, or fails to dispose of excess contributions in violation of that section shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted, used, or kept in violation of that section.

(P) Any political party, state candidate fund, legislative candidate fund, or campaign committee that violates division (T) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount contributed or accepted in violation of that section.

(Q) A treasurer of a committee or another person who violates division (U) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than two hundred fifty dollars.

(R) Whoever violates division (I) or (J) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars. Whenever a person is found guilty of violating division (I) or (J) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code, the contract awarded in violation of either of those divisions shall be rescinded if its terms have not yet been performed.

(S) A candidate whose campaign committee violates or a treasurer of a campaign committee who violates section 3517.081 of the Revised Code, and a candidate whose campaign committee violates or a treasurer of a campaign committee or another person who violates division (C) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code, shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars.

(T) A candidate whose campaign committee violates or a treasurer of a committee who violates division (B) of section 3517.09 of the Revised Code, or a candidate whose campaign committee violates or a treasurer of a campaign committee or another person who violates division (C) of section 3517.09 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars.

(U) Whoever violates section 3517.20 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars.

(V) Whoever violates section 3517.21 or 3517.22 of the Revised Code shall be imprisoned for not more than six months or fined not more than five thousand dollars, or both.

(W) A campaign committee that is required to file a declaration of no limits under division (D)(2) of section 3517.103 of the Revised Code that, before filing that declaration, accepts a contribution or contributions that exceed the limitations prescribed in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code, shall return that contribution or those contributions to the contributor.

(X) Any campaign committee that fails to file the declaration of filing-day finances required by division (F) of section 3517.109 of the Revised Code shall be fined twenty-five dollars for each day of violation.

(Y)(1) Any campaign committee that fails to dispose of excess funds or excess aggregate contributions under division (B) of section 3517.109 of the Revised Code in the manner required by division (C) of that section shall give to the treasurer of state for deposit into the Ohio elections commission fund created under division (I) of section 3517.152 of the Revised Code all funds not disposed of pursuant to that division.

(2) Any treasurer of a transition fund that fails to dispose of assets remaining in the transition fund as required under division (H)(1) or (2) of section 3517.1014 of the Revised Code shall give to the treasurer of state for deposit into the Ohio elections commission fund all assets not disposed of pursuant to that division.

(Z) Any individual, campaign committee, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, political party, treasurer of a transition fund, or other entity that violates any provision of sections 3517.09 to 3517.12 of the Revised Code for which no penalty is provided for under any other division of this section shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars.

(AA)(1) Whoever knowingly violates division (W)(1) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount contributed, expended, or promised in violation of that division or ten thousand dollars, whichever amount is greater.

(2) Whoever knowingly violates division (W)(2) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount solicited or accepted in violation of that division or ten thousand dollars, whichever amount is greater.

(BB) Whoever knowingly violates division (C) or (D) of section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than ten thousand dollars plus not more than one thousand dollars for each day of violation.

(CC)(1) Subject to division (CC)(2) of this section, whoever violates division (H) of section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount up to three times the amount disbursed for the direct costs of airing the communication made in violation of that division.

(2) Whoever has been ordered by the Ohio elections commission or by a court of competent jurisdiction to cease making communications in violation of division (H) of section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code who again violates that division shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount disbursed for the direct costs of airing the communication made in violation of that division.

(DD)(1) Any corporation or labor organization that violates division (X)(3)(a) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount given in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(2) Any state or county political party that violates division (X)(3)(b) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(EE)(1) Any campaign committee or person who violates division (C)(1)(b) or (c) of section 3517.1014 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount donated in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(2) Any officeholder or treasurer of a transition fund who violates division (C)(3)(a) or (b) of section 3517.1014 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

Last updated January 13, 2023 at 1:06 PM

Section 3517.993 | Fine schedule for violations after 8-24-95.

• Effective: December 22, 1999
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 119 - 123rd General Assembly

This section authorizes the establishment of fines that may be imposed only with respect to acts or failures to act that occur on and after August 24, 1995.

(A) Except as otherwise provided in division (D)(2) of section 3517.155 of the Revised Code, the Ohio elections commission may impose administrative fines under division (A)(1)(b) of section 3517.155 of the Revised Code in accordance with the amounts set forth under sections 3517.992, 3599.03, and 3599.031 of the Revised Code.

(B) The commission may suspend all or part of a fine it imposes under this section upon whatever terms and conditions the commission considers just.

(C)(1) The commission shall consider any of the following circumstances in determining whether to impose a maximum fine under this section:

(a) Whether the violator has been found guilty of any other violation of Title XXXV of the Revised Code;

(b) Whether the violation was made knowingly or purposely;

(c) Whether any relevant statements, addenda, or affidavits required to be filed have not been filed;

(d) Whether the violator has any outstanding fines imposed for a violation of Title XXXV of the Revised Code;

(e) Whether the violation occurred during the course of a campaign.

(2) The commission shall consider any of the following circumstances in determining whether to impose a minimal fine or no fine under this section:

(a) Whether the violator previously has not been found guilty of any other violation of Title XXXV of the Revised Code;

(b) Whether the violator has promptly corrected the violator's violation;

(c) Whether the nature and circumstances of the violation merit a minimum fine;

(d) Whether there are substantial grounds tending to excuse or justify the violation, although failing to establish a defense to the violation;

(e) Whether the violation was not purposely committed.

(3) The circumstances set forth in divisions (C)(1) and (2) of this section shall be considered by, but shall not control the decision of, the commission in imposing a fine.

(D) Fines imposed by the commission under this section shall be paid into the Ohio elections commission fund.