As Introduced

136th General Assembly

Regular Session S. B. No. 452

2025-2026

Senator Hicks-Hudson

To amend section 3503.01 of the Revised Code to clarify only natural persons have the right to vote.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. That section 3503.01 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:

Sec. 3503.01. (A) Every citizen Only a citizen of the United States who is a natural person of the age of eighteen years or over and who has been a resident of the state thirty days immediately preceding the election at which the citizen offers to vote, is a resident of the county and precinct in which the citizen offers to vote, and has been registered to vote for thirty days, has the qualifications of an elector and may vote at all elections in the precinct in which the citizen resides.

(B) When only a portion of a precinct is included within the boundaries of an election district, the board of elections may assign the electors residing in such portion of a precinct to the nearest precinct or portion of a precinct within the boundaries of such election district for the purpose of voting at any special election held in such district. In any election in which only a part of the electors in a precinct is qualified to vote, the board may assign voters in such part to an adjoining precinct. Such assignment may be made to an adjoining precinct in another county with the consent and approval of the board of elections of such other county if the number of voters assigned to vote in a precinct in another county is two hundred or less.

The board shall notify all such electors so assigned, at least ten days prior to the holding of any such election, of the location of the polling place where they are entitled to vote at such election.

As used in division (B) of this section, "election district" means a school district, municipal corporation, township, or other political subdivision that includes territory in more than one precinct or any other district or authority that includes territory in more than one precinct and that is authorized by law to place an issue on the ballot at a special election.

Section 2. That existing section 3503.01 of the Revised Code is hereby repealed.