As Introduced

134th General Assembly

Regular Session H. B. No. 387

2021-2022

A BILL

To amend sections 3501.01, 3501.05, 3501.11, 3501.22, 3503.10, 3503.11, 3503.14, 3503.16, 3503.19, 3503.20, 3503.28, 3505.08, 3505.18, 3505.181, 3505.182, 3505.183, 3506.05, 3506.07, 3506.10, 3506.14, 3506.21, 3506.23, 3509.01, 3509.02, 3509.03, 3509.04, 3509.05, 3509.051, 3509.06, 3509.07, 3509.08, 3509.09, 3509.10, 3511.02, 3511.04, 3511.05, 3511.06, 3511.07, 3511.08, 3511.09, 3511.10, 3511.11, 3511.13, 3599.27, 4507.50, 4507.501, 4507.51, and 4507.52; to enact sections 3506.17, 3509.031, 4507.41, and 4507.502; and to repeal section 111.31 of the Revised Code to make changes to the Election Law.

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

Section 1. That sections 3501.01, 3501.05, 3501.11, 3501.22, 3503.10, 3503.11, 3503.14, 3503.16, 3503.19, 3503.20, 3503.28, 3505.08, 3505.18, 3505.181, 3505.182, 3505.183, 3506.05, 3506.07, 3506.10, 3506.14, 3506.21, 3506.23, 3509.01, 3509.02, 3509.03, 3509.04, 3509.05, 3509.051, 3509.06, 3509.07, 3509.08, 3509.09, 3509.10, 3511.02, 3511.04, 3511.05, 3511.06, 3511.07, 3511.08, 3511.09, 3511.10, 3511.11, 3511.13, 3599.27, 4507.50, 4507.501, 4507.51, and 4507.52 be amended and sections 3506.17, 3509.031, 4507.41, and 4507.502 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 3501.01. As used in the sections of the Revised Code relating to elections and political communications:

(A) "General election" means the election held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in each November.

(B) "Regular municipal election" means the election held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in each odd-numbered year.

(C) "Regular state election" means the election held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in each even-numbered year.

(D) "Special election" means any election other than those elections defined in other divisions of this section. A special election may be held only on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in May, August, or November, or on the day authorized by a particular municipal or county charter for the holding of a primary election, except that in any year in which a presidential primary election is held, no special election shall be held in May, except as authorized by a municipal or county charter, but may be held on the third Tuesday after the first Monday in March.

(E)(1) "Primary" or "primary election" means an election held for the purpose of nominating persons as candidates of political parties for election to offices, and for the purpose of electing persons as members of the controlling committees of political parties and as delegates and alternates to the conventions of political parties. Primary elections shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in May of each year except in years in which a presidential primary election is held.

(2) "Presidential primary election" means a primary election as defined by division (E)(1) of this section at which an election is held for the purpose of choosing delegates and alternates to the national conventions of the major political parties pursuant to section 3513.12 of the Revised Code. Unless otherwise specified, presidential primary elections are included in references to primary elections. In years in which a presidential primary election is held, all primary elections shall be held on the third Tuesday after the first Monday in March except as otherwise authorized by a municipal or county charter.

(F) "Political party" means any group of voters meeting the requirements set forth in section 3517.01 of the Revised Code for the formation and existence of a political party.

(1) "Major political party" means any political party organized under the laws of this state whose candidate for governor or nominees for presidential electors received not less than twenty per cent of the total vote cast for such office at the most recent regular state election.

(2) "Minor political party" means any political party organized under the laws of this state that meets either of the following requirements:

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this division, the political party's candidate for governor or nominees for presidential electors received less than twenty per cent but not less than three per cent of the total vote cast for such office at the most recent regular state election. A political party that meets the requirements of this division remains a political party for a period of four years after meeting those requirements.

(b) The political party has filed with the secretary of state, subsequent to its failure to meet the requirements of division (F)(2)(a) of this section, a petition that meets the requirements of section 3517.01 of the Revised Code.

A newly formed political party shall be known as a minor political party until the time of the first election for governor or president which occurs not less than twelve months subsequent to the formation of such party, after which election the status of such party shall be determined by the vote for the office of governor or president.

(G) "Dominant party in a precinct" or "dominant political party in a precinct" means that political party whose candidate for election to the office of governor at the most recent regular state election at which a governor was elected received more votes than any other person received for election to that office in such precinct at such election.

(H) "Candidate" means any qualified person certified in accordance with the provisions of the Revised Code for placement on the official ballot of a primary, general, or special election to be held in this state, or any qualified person who claims to be a write-in candidate, or who knowingly assents to being represented as a write-in candidate by another at either a primary, general, or special election to be held in this state.

(I) "Independent candidate" means any candidate who claims not to be affiliated with a political party, and whose name has been certified on the office-type ballot at a general or special election through the filing of a statement of candidacy and nominating petition, as prescribed in section 3513.257 of the Revised Code.

(J) "Nonpartisan candidate" means any candidate whose name is required, pursuant to section 3505.04 of the Revised Code, to be listed on the nonpartisan ballot, including all candidates for judge of a municipal court, county court, or court of common pleas, for member of any board of education, for municipal or township offices in which primary elections are not held for nominating candidates by political parties, and for offices of municipal corporations having charters that provide for separate ballots for elections for these offices.

(K) "Party candidate" means any candidate who claims to be a member of a political party and who has been certified to appear on the office-type ballot at a general or special election as the nominee of a political party because the candidate has won the primary election of the candidate's party for the public office the candidate seeks, has been nominated under section 3517.012, or is selected by party committee in accordance with section 3513.31 of the Revised Code.

(L) "Officer of a political party" includes, but is not limited to, any member, elected or appointed, of a controlling committee, whether representing the territory of the state, a district therein, a county, township, a city, a ward, a precinct, or other territory, of a major or minor political party.

(M) "Question or issue" means any question or issue certified in accordance with the Revised Code for placement on an official ballot at a general or special election to be held in this state.

(N) "Elector" or "qualified elector" means a person having the qualifications provided by law to be entitled to vote.

(O) "Voter" means an elector who votes at an election.

(P) "Voting residence" means that place of residence of an elector which shall determine the precinct in which the elector may vote.

(Q) "Precinct" means a district within a county established by the board of elections of such county within which all qualified electors having a voting residence therein may vote at the same polling place.

(R) "Polling place" means that place provided for each precinct at which the electors having a voting residence in such precinct may vote.

(S) "Board" or "board of elections" means the board of elections appointed in a county pursuant to section 3501.06 of the Revised Code.

(T) "Political subdivision" means a county, township, city, village, or school district.

(U) "Election officer" or "election official" means any of the following:

(1) Secretary of state;

(2) Employees of the secretary of state serving the division of elections in the capacity of attorney, administrative officer, administrative assistant, elections administrator, office manager, or clerical supervisor;

(3) Director of a board of elections;

(4) Deputy director of a board of elections;

(5) Member of a board of elections;

(6) Employees of a board of elections;

(7) Precinct election officials;

(8) Employees appointed by the boards of elections on a temporary or part-time basis.

(V) "Acknowledgment notice" means a notice sent by a board of elections, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, informing a voter registration applicant or an applicant who wishes to change the applicant's residence or name of the status of the application; the information necessary to complete or update the application, if any; and if the application is complete, the precinct in which the applicant is to vote.

(W) "Confirmation notice" means a notice sent by a board of elections, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, to a registered elector to confirm the registered elector's current address.

(X) "Designated agency" means an office or agency in the state that provides public assistance or that provides state-funded programs primarily engaged in providing services to persons with disabilities and that is required by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to implement a program designed and administered by the secretary of state for registering voters, or any other public or government office or agency that implements a program designed and administered by the secretary of state for registering voters, including the department of job and family services, the program administered under section 3701.132 of the Revised Code by the department of health, the department of mental health and addiction services, the department of developmental disabilities, the opportunities for Ohioans with disabilities agency, and any other agency the secretary of state designates. "Designated agency" does not include public high schools and vocational schools, public libraries, or the office of a county treasurer.

(Y) "National Voter Registration Act of 1993" means the "National Voter Registration Act of 1993," 107 Stat. 77, 42 U.S.C.A. 1973gg.

(Z) "Voting Rights Act of 1965" means the "Voting Rights Act of 1965," 79 Stat. 437, 42 U.S.C.A. 1973, as amended.

(AA) "Photo identification" means a document that meets each of the following requirements:

(1) It ~~shows~~ contains the name of the ~~individual to whom it was issued~~elector, which shall conform to the name in the ~~poll list or signature pollbook~~individual's voter registration record.

(2) It shows the current address of the individual to whom it was issued, which shall conform to the address in the poll list or signature pollbook, except for a driver's license or a state identification card issued under section 4507.50 of the Revised Code, which may show either the current or former address of the individual to whom it was issued, regardless of whether that address conforms to the address in the poll list or signature pollbook.

~~(3) It shows~~ contains a photograph of the individual to whom it was issued.

~~(4) It includes an expiration date that has not passed.~~

~~(5) It was issued by the government of the United States or this state~~

(3) It is one of the following documents:

(a) An Ohio driver's license or Ohio commercial driver's license issued by the registrar of motor vehicles or deputy registrar under Chapter 4507. of the Revised Code that shows the current or former address of the elector, regardless of whether that address conforms to the address in the individual's voter registration record, and that is not expired;

(b) A state identification card issued by the registrar of motor vehicles or deputy registrar under section 4507.50 of the Revised Code that shows the current or former address of the elector, regardless of whether that address conforms to the address in the individual's voter registration record, and that is not expired;

(c) An Ohio driver's license or Ohio commercial driver's license issued by the registrar of motor vehicles or deputy registrar under Chapter 4507. of the Revised Code or a state identification card issued by the registrar of motor vehicles or deputy registrar under section 4507.50 of the Revised Code that is expired and a United States military identification card that is not expired.

Sec. 3501.05. The secretary of state shall do all of the following:

(A) Appoint all members of boards of elections;

(B) Issue instructions by directives and advisories in accordance with section 3501.053 of the Revised Code to members of the boards as to the proper methods of conducting elections.

(D) Publish and furnish to the boards from time to time a sufficient number of indexed copies of all election laws then in force;

(E) Edit and issue all pamphlets concerning proposed laws or amendments required by law to be submitted to the voters;

(F) Prescribe the form of registration cards, blanks, and records;

(G) Determine and prescribe the forms of ballots and the forms of all blanks, cards of instructions, pollbooks, tally sheets, certificates of election, and forms and blanks required by law for use by candidates, committees, and boards;

(H) Prepare the ballot title or statement to be placed on the ballot for any proposed law or amendment to the constitution to be submitted to the voters of the state;

(I) Except as otherwise provided in section 3519.08 of the Revised Code, certify to the several boards the forms of ballots and names of candidates for state offices, and the form and wording of state referendum questions and issues, as they shall appear on the ballot;

(J) Except as otherwise provided in division (I)(2)(b) of section 3501.38 of the Revised Code, give final approval to ballot language for any local question or issue approved and transmitted by boards of elections under section 3501.11 of the Revised Code;

(K) Receive all initiative and referendum petitions on state questions and issues and determine and certify to the sufficiency of those petitions;

(L) Require such reports from the several boards as are provided by law, or as the secretary of state considers necessary;

(M) Compel the observance by election officers in the several counties of the requirements of the election laws;

(N)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (N)(2) of this section, investigate the administration of election laws, frauds, and irregularities in elections in any county, and report violations of election laws to the attorney general or prosecuting attorney, or both, for prosecution;

(2) On and after August 24, 1995, report a failure to comply with or a violation of a provision in sections 3517.08 to 3517.13, 3517.20 to 3517.22, 3599.03, or 3599.031 of the Revised Code, whenever the secretary of state has or should have knowledge of a failure to comply with or a violation of a provision in one of those sections, by filing a complaint with the Ohio elections commission under section 3517.153 of the Revised Code.

(O) Make an annual report to the governor containing the results of elections, the cost of elections in the various counties, a tabulation of the votes in the several political subdivisions, and other information and recommendations relative to elections the secretary of state considers desirable;

(P) Prescribe and distribute to boards of elections a list of instructions indicating all legal steps necessary to petition successfully for local option elections under sections 4301.32 to 4301.41, 4303.29, 4305.14, and 4305.15 of the Revised Code;

(Q) Adopt rules pursuant to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code for the removal by boards of elections of ineligible voters from the statewide voter registration database and, if applicable, from the poll list or signature pollbook used in each precinct, which rules shall provide for all of the following:

(1) A process for the removal of voters who have changed residence, which shall be uniform, nondiscriminatory, and in compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, including a program that uses the national change of address service provided by the United States postal system through its licensees;

(2) A process for the removal of ineligible voters under section 3503.21 of the Revised Code;

(3) A uniform system for marking or removing the name of a voter who is ineligible to vote from the statewide voter registration database and, if applicable, from the poll list or signature pollbook used in each precinct and noting the reason for that mark or removal.

(R) Prescribe a general program for registering voters or updating voter registration information, such as name and residence changes, by boards of elections, designated agencies, offices of deputy registrars of motor vehicles, public high schools and vocational schools, public libraries, and offices of county treasurers consistent with the requirements of section 3503.09 of the Revised Code;

(S) Prescribe a program of distribution of voter registration forms through boards of elections, designated agencies, offices of the registrar and deputy registrars of motor vehicles, public high schools and vocational schools, public libraries, and offices of county treasurers;

(T) To the extent feasible, provide copies, at no cost and upon request, of the voter registration form in post offices in this state;

(U) Adopt rules pursuant to section 111.15 of the Revised Code for the purpose of implementing the program for registering voters through boards of elections, designated agencies, and the offices of the registrar and deputy registrars of motor vehicles consistent with this chapter;

(V) Establish the full-time position of Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator within the office of the secretary of state to do all of the following:

(1) Assist the secretary of state with ensuring that there is equal access to polling places for persons with disabilities;

(2) Assist the secretary of state with ensuring that each voter may cast the voter's ballot in a manner that provides the same opportunity for access and participation, including privacy and independence, as for other voters;

(3) Advise the secretary of state in the development of standards for the certification of voting machines, marking devices, and automatic tabulating equipment.

(W) Establish and maintain a computerized statewide database of all legally registered voters under section 3503.15 of the Revised Code that complies with the requirements of the "Help America Vote Act of 2002," Pub. L. No. 107-252, 116 Stat. 1666, and provide training in the operation of that system;

(X) Ensure that all directives, advisories, other instructions, or decisions issued or made during or as a result of any conference or teleconference call with a board of elections to discuss the proper methods and procedures for conducting elections, to answer questions regarding elections, or to discuss the interpretation of directives, advisories, or other instructions issued by the secretary of state are posted on a web site of the office of the secretary of state as soon as is practicable after the completion of the conference or teleconference call, but not later than the close of business on the same day as the conference or teleconference call takes place.

(Y) Publish a report on a web site of the office of the secretary of state not later than one month after the completion of the canvass of the election returns for each primary and general election, identifying, by county, the number of absent voter's ballots cast and the number of those ballots that were counted, and the number of provisional ballots cast and the number of those ballots that were counted, for that election. The secretary of state shall maintain the information on the web site in an archive format for each subsequent election.

(Z) Conduct voter education outlining voter identification, absent voters ballot, provisional ballot, and other voting requirements;

(AA) Establish a procedure by which a registered elector may make available to a board of elections a more recent signature to be used in the poll list or signature pollbook produced by the board of elections of the county in which the elector resides;

(BB) Disseminate information, which may include all or part of the official explanations and arguments, by means of direct mail or other written publication, broadcast, or other means or combination of means, as directed by the Ohio ballot board under division (F) of section 3505.062 of the Revised Code, in order to inform the voters as fully as possible concerning each proposed constitutional amendment, proposed law, or referendum;

(CC) Be the single state office responsible for the implementation of the "Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act," Pub. L. No. 99-410, 100 Stat. 924, 42 U.S.C. 1973ff, et seq., as amended, in this state. The secretary of state may delegate to the boards of elections responsibilities for the implementation of that act, including responsibilities arising from amendments to that act made by the "Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act," Subtitle H of the "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010," Pub. L. No. 111-84, 123 Stat. 3190.

(DD) Adopt rules, under Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, to establish procedures and standards for determining when a board of elections shall be placed under the official oversight of the secretary of state, placing a board of elections under the official oversight of the secretary of state, a board that is under official oversight to transition out of official oversight, and the secretary of state to supervise a board of elections that is under official oversight of the secretary of state.

(EE) Reimburse the costs associated with printing required under sections 3503.10 and 3503.11 of the Revised Code.

(FF) Perform other duties required by law.

Whenever a primary election is held under section 3513.32 of the Revised Code or a special election is held under section 3521.03 of the Revised Code to fill a vacancy in the office of representative to congress, the secretary of state shall establish a deadline, notwithstanding any other deadline required under the Revised Code, by which any or all of the following shall occur: the filing of a declaration of candidacy and petitions or a statement of candidacy and nominating petition together with the applicable filing fee; the filing of protests against the candidacy of any person filing a declaration of candidacy or nominating petition; the filing of a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate; the filing of campaign finance reports; the preparation of, and the making of corrections or challenges to, precinct voter registration lists; the receipt of applications for absent voter's ballots or uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots; the supplying of election materials to precincts by boards of elections; the holding of hearings by boards of elections to consider challenges to the right of a person to appear on a voter registration list; and the scheduling of programs to instruct or reinstruct election officers.

In the performance of the secretary of state's duties as the chief election officer, the secretary of state may administer oaths, issue subpoenas, summon witnesses, compel the production of books, papers, records, and other evidence, and fix the time and place for hearing any matters relating to the administration and enforcement of the election laws.

In any controversy involving or arising out of the adoption of registration or the appropriation of funds for registration, the secretary of state may, through the attorney general, bring an action in the name of the state in the court of common pleas of the county where the cause of action arose or in an adjoining county, to adjudicate the question.

In any action involving the laws in Title XXXV of the Revised Code wherein the interpretation of those laws is in issue in such a manner that the result of the action will affect the lawful duties of the secretary of state or of any board of elections, the secretary of state may, on the secretary of state's motion, be made a party.

The secretary of state may apply to any court that is hearing a case in which the secretary of state is a party, for a change of venue as a substantive right, and the change of venue shall be allowed, and the case removed to the court of common pleas of an adjoining county named in the application or, if there are cases pending in more than one jurisdiction that involve the same or similar issues, the court of common pleas of Franklin county.

Public high schools and vocational schools, public libraries, and the office of a county treasurer shall implement voter registration programs as directed by the secretary of state pursuant to this section.

The secretary of state may mail unsolicited applications for absent voter's ballots to individuals only for a general election and only if the general assembly has made an appropriation for that particular mailing. Under no other circumstance shall a public office, or a public official or employee who is acting in an official capacity, mail unsolicited applications for absent voter's ballots to any individuals.

Sec. 3501.11. Each board of elections shall exercise by a majority vote all powers granted to the board by Title XXXV of the Revised Code, shall perform all the duties imposed by law, and shall do all of the following:

(A) Establish, define, provide, rearrange, and combine election precincts;

(B) Fix and provide the places for registration and for holding primaries and elections;

(C) Provide for the purchase, preservation, and maintenance of booths, ballot boxes, books, maps, flags, blanks, cards of instructions, and other forms, papers, and equipment used in registration, nominations, and elections;

(D) Appoint and remove its director, deputy director, and employees and all registrars, precinct election officials, and other officers of elections, fill vacancies, and designate the ward or district and precinct in which each shall serve;

(E) Make and issue rules and instructions, not inconsistent with law or the rules, directives, or advisories issued by the secretary of state, as it considers necessary for the guidance of election officers and voters;

(F) Advertise and contract for the printing of all ballots and other supplies used in registrations and elections;

(G) Provide for the issuance of all notices, advertisements, and publications concerning elections, except as otherwise provided in division (G) of section 3501.17 and divisions (F) and (G) of section 3505.062 of the Revised Code;

(H) Provide for the delivery of ballots, pollbooks, and other required papers and material to the polling places;

(I) Cause the polling places to be suitably provided with voting machines, marking devices, automatic tabulating equipment, stalls, and other required supplies. In fulfilling this duty, each board of a county that uses voting machines, marking devices, or automatic tabulating equipment shall conduct a full vote of the board during a public session of the board on the allocation and distribution of voting machines, marking devices, and automatic tabulating equipment for each precinct in the county.

(J) Investigate irregularities, nonperformance of duties, or violations of Title XXXV of the Revised Code by election officers and other persons; administer oaths, issue subpoenas, summon witnesses, and compel the production of books, papers, records, and other evidence in connection with any such investigation; and report the facts to the prosecuting attorney or the secretary of state;

(K)(1) Review, examine, and certify the sufficiency and validity of petitions and nomination papers, and, after certification, return to the secretary of state all petitions and nomination papers that the secretary of state forwarded to the board;

(2) Examine each initiative petition, or a petition filed under section 307.94 or 307.95 of the Revised Code, received by the board to determine whether the petition falls within the scope of authority to enact via initiative and whether the petition satisfies the statutory prerequisites to place the issue on the ballot, as described in division (M) of section 3501.38 of the Revised Code. The petition shall be invalid if any portion of the petition is not within the initiative power.

(L) Receive the returns of elections, canvass the returns, make abstracts of them, and transmit those abstracts to the proper authorities;

(M) Issue certificates of election on forms to be prescribed by the secretary of state;

(N) Make an annual report to the secretary of state, on the form prescribed by the secretary of state, containing a statement of the number of voters registered, elections held, votes cast, appropriations received, expenditures made, and other data required by the secretary of state;

(O) Prepare and submit to the proper appropriating officer a budget estimating the cost of elections for the ensuing fiscal year;

(P) Perform other duties as prescribed by law or the rules, directives, or advisories of the secretary of state;

(Q) Investigate and determine the residence qualifications of electors;

(R) Administer oaths in matters pertaining to the administration of the election laws;

(S) Prepare and submit to the secretary of state, whenever the secretary of state requires, a report containing the names and residence addresses of all incumbent county, municipal, township, and board of education officials serving in their respective counties;

(T) Establish and maintain a voter registration database of all qualified electors in the county who offer to register;

(U) Maintain voter registration records, make reports concerning voter registration as required by the secretary of state, and remove ineligible electors from voter registration lists in accordance with law and directives of the secretary of state;

(V) Give approval to ballot language for any local question or issue and transmit the language to the secretary of state for the secretary of state's final approval;

(W) Prepare and cause the following notice to be displayed in a prominent location in every polling place:

"NOTICE

Ohio law prohibits any person from voting or attempting to vote more than once at the same election.

Violators are guilty of a felony of the fourth degree and shall be imprisoned and additionally may be fined in accordance with law."

(X) In all cases of a tie vote or a disagreement in the board, if no decision can be arrived at, the director or chairperson shall submit the matter in controversy, not later than fourteen days after the tie vote or the disagreement, to the secretary of state, who shall summarily decide the question, and the secretary of state's decision shall be final.

(Y) Assist each designated agency, deputy registrar of motor vehicles, public high school and vocational school, public library, and office of a county treasurer in the implementation of a program for registering voters at all voter registration locations as prescribed by the secretary of state. Under this program, each board of elections shall direct to the appropriate board of elections any voter registration applications for persons residing outside the county where the board is located within five days after receiving the applications.

(Z) On any day on which an elector may vote in person at the office of the board or at another site designated by the board, consider the board or other designated site a polling place for that day. All requirements or prohibitions of law that apply to a polling place shall apply to the office of the board or other designated site on that day.

(AA) Perform any duties with respect to voter registration and voting by uniformed services and overseas voters that are delegated to the board by law or by the rules, directives, or advisories of the secretary of state.

(BB) Provide, at no cost to the person wishing to complete a voter registration, change of name form, or change of address form, either an electronic or paper copy of the front and back of the person's photo identification.

Sec. 3501.22. (A)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (A)(2) of this section, on or before the fifteenth day of September in each year, the board of elections by a majority vote shall, after careful examination and investigation as to their qualifications, appoint for each election precinct four residents of the county in which the precinct is located, or a county that shares a border with the county in which the precinct is located, as precinct election officials. A resident located in a county that shares a border with the county in which the precinct is located shall provide proof of voter registration in a county that shares a border with the county in which the precinct is located and provide photo identification.

Except as otherwise provided in division (C) of this section, all precinct election officials shall be qualified electors. The precinct election officials shall constitute the election officers of the precinct. Not more than one-half of the total number of precinct election officials shall be members of the same political party. The term of such precinct officers shall be for one year. The board may, at any time, designate any number of election officers, not more than one-half of whom shall be members of the same political party, to perform their duties at any precinct in any election. The board may appoint additional officials, equally divided between the two major political parties, when necessary to expedite voting. If the board of elections determines that four precinct election officials are not required in a precinct for a special election, the board of elections may select two of the precinct's election officers, who are not members of the same political party, to serve as the precinct election officials for that precinct in that special election.

Vacancies for unexpired terms shall be filled by the board. When new precincts have been created, the board shall appoint precinct election officials for those precincts for the unexpired term. Any precinct election official may be summarily removed from office at any time by the board for neglect of duty, malfeasance, or misconduct in office or for any other good and sufficient reason.

Precinct election officials shall perform all of the duties provided by law for receiving the ballots and supplies, opening and closing the polls, and overseeing the casting of ballots during the time the polls are open, and any other duties required by section 3501.26 of the Revised Code.

A board of elections may designate two precinct election officials as counting officials to count and tally the votes cast and certify the results of the election at each precinct, and perform other duties as provided by law. To expedite the counting of votes at each precinct, the board may appoint additional officials, not more than one-half of whom shall be members of the same political party.

Except as otherwise provided in division (A)(2) of this section, the board shall designate one of the precinct election officials who is a member of the dominant political party to serve as a voting location manager, whose duty it is to deliver the returns of the election and all supplies to the office of the board. For these services, the voting location manager shall receive additional compensation in an amount, consistent with section 3501.28 of the Revised Code, determined by the board of elections.

The board shall issue to each precinct election official a certificate of appointment, which the official shall present to the voting location manager at the time the polls are opened.

(2) If the board of elections, by a vote of at least three members of the board, opts to have a single voting location serve more than one precinct, the board may do any of the following:

(a) Designate a single voting location manager for the voting location. The voting location manager shall be a member of the political party whose candidate received the highest number of votes for governor at the most recent general election for that office in the precincts whose polling places are located at the applicable voting location, when tallying the combined vote for governor in all such precincts.

(b) Combine the pollbooks for those precincts to create a single pollbook for the voting location;

(c) If electronic pollbooks are being used in the voting location, as described in section 3506.021 of the Revised Code, appoint not less than two precinct election officials for each precinct, so long as the board approves the decision to reduce the number of precinct election officials by the affirmative vote of at least three of its members.

(B) If the board of elections determines that not enough qualified electors in a precinct are available to serve as precinct officers, it may appoint persons to serve as precinct officers at a primary, special, or general election who are at least seventeen years of age and are registered to vote in accordance with section 3503.07 of the Revised Code.

(C)(1) A board of elections, in conjunction with the board of education of a city, local, or exempted village school district, the governing authority of a community school established under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code, or the chief administrator of a nonpublic school may establish a program permitting certain high school students to apply and, if appointed by the board of elections, to serve as precinct officers at a primary, special, or general election.

In addition to the requirements established by division (C)(2) of this section, a board of education, governing authority, or chief administrator that establishes a program under this division in conjunction with a board of elections may establish additional criteria that students shall meet to be eligible to participate in that program.

(2)(a) To be eligible to participate in a program established under division (C)(1) of this section, a student shall be a United States citizen, a resident of the county, or a county that shares a border with the county in which the precinct is located, at least seventeen years of age, and enrolled in the senior year of high school. A student located in a county that shares a border with the county in which the precinct is located shall provide proof of voter registration in a county that shares a border with the county in which the precinct is located and provide photo identification.

(b) Any student applying to participate in a program established under division (C)(1) of this section, as part of the student's application process, shall declare the student's political party affiliation with the board of elections.

(3) No student appointed as a precinct officer pursuant to a program established under division (C)(1) of this section shall be designated as a voting location manager.

(4) Any student participating in a program established under division (C)(1) of this section shall be excused for that student's absence from school on the day of an election at which the student is serving as a precinct officer.

(D) In any precinct with six or more precinct officers, up to two students participating in a program established under division (C)(1) of this section who are under eighteen years of age may serve as precinct officers. Not more than one precinct officer in any given precinct with fewer than six precinct officers shall be under eighteen years of age.

(E) A precinct officer shall work for not more than seven hours in single day.

Sec. 3503.10. (A) Each designated agency shall designate one person within that agency to serve as coordinator for the voter registration program within the agency and its departments, divisions, and programs. The designated person shall be trained under a program designed by the secretary of state and shall be responsible for administering all aspects of the voter registration program for that agency as prescribed by the secretary of state. The designated person shall receive no additional compensation for performing such duties.

(B) Every designated agency, public high school and vocational school, public library, and office of a county treasurer shall provide in each of its offices or locations voter registration applications and assistance in the registration of persons qualified to register to vote, in accordance with this chapter.

(C) Every designated agency shall distribute to its applicants, prior to or in conjunction with distributing a voter registration application, a form prescribed by the secretary of state that includes all of the following:

(1) The question, "Do you want to register to vote or update your current voter registration?"--followed by boxes for the applicant to indicate whether the applicant would like to register or decline to register to vote, and the statement, highlighted in bold print, "If you do not check either box, you will be considered to have decided not to register to vote at this time.";

(2) If the agency provides public assistance, the statement, "Applying to register or declining to register to vote will not affect the amount of assistance that you will be provided by this agency.";

(3) The statement, "If you would like help in filling out the voter registration application form, we will help you. The decision whether to seek or accept help is yours. You may fill out the application form in private.";

(4) The statement, "If you believe that someone has interfered with your right to register or to decline to register to vote, your right to privacy in deciding whether to register or in applying to register to vote, or your right to choose your own political party or other political preference, you may file a complaint with the prosecuting attorney of your county or with the secretary of state," with the address and telephone number for each such official's office.

(D) Each designated agency shall distribute a voter registration form prescribed by the secretary of state to each applicant with each application for service or assistance, and with each written application or form for recertification, renewal, or change of address.

(E) Each designated agency shall do all of the following:

(1) Have employees trained to administer the voter registration program in order to provide to each applicant who wishes to register to vote and who accepts assistance, the same degree of assistance with regard to completion of the voter registration application as is provided by the agency with regard to the completion of its own form;

(2) Accept completed voter registration applications, voter registration change of residence forms, and voter registration change of name forms, regardless of whether the application or form was distributed by the designated agency, for transmittal to the office of the board of elections in the county in which the agency is located. Each designated agency and the appropriate board of elections shall establish a method by which the voter registration applications and other voter registration forms are transmitted to that board of elections within five days after being accepted by the agency.

(3) If the designated agency is one that is primarily engaged in providing services to persons with disabilities under a state-funded program, and that agency provides services to a person with disabilities at a person's home, provide the services described in divisions (E)(1) and (2) of this section at the person's home;

(4) Keep as confidential, except as required by the secretary of state for record-keeping purposes, the identity of an agency through which a person registered to vote or updated the person's voter registration records, and information relating to a declination to register to vote made in connection with a voter registration application issued by a designated agency;

(5) Provide, at no cost to the person, either an electronic or paper copy of the front and back of the person's photo identification to be transmitted along with the person's voter registration application, voter registration change of residence form, or voter registration change of name form.

(F) The secretary of state shall prepare and transmit written instructions on the implementation of the voter registration program within each designated agency, public high school and vocational school, public library, and office of a county treasurer. The instructions shall include directions as follows:

(1) That each person designated to assist with voter registration maintain strict neutrality with respect to a person's political philosophies, a person's right to register or decline to register, and any other matter that may influence a person's decision to register or not register to vote;

(2) That each person designated to assist with voter registration not seek to influence a person's decision to register or not register to vote, not display or demonstrate any political preference or party allegiance, and not make any statement to a person or take any action the purpose or effect of which is to lead a person to believe that a decision to register or not register has any bearing on the availability of services or benefits offered, on the grade in a particular class in school, or on credit for a particular class in school;

(3) Regarding when and how to assist a person in completing the voter registration application, what to do with the completed voter registration application or voter registration update form, and when the application must be transmitted to the appropriate board of elections;

(4) Regarding what records must be kept by the agency and where and when those records should be transmitted to satisfy reporting requirements imposed on the secretary of state under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993;

(5) Regarding whom to contact to obtain answers to questions about voter registration forms and procedures.

(G) If the voter registration activity is part of an in-class voter registration program in a public high school or vocational school, whether prescribed by the secretary of state or independent of the secretary of state, the board of education shall do all of the following:

(1) Establish a schedule of school days and hours during these days when the person designated to assist with voter registration shall provide voter registration assistance;

(2) Designate a person to assist with voter registration from the public high school's or vocational school's staff;

(3) Make voter registration applications and materials available, as outlined in the voter registration program established by the secretary of state pursuant to section 3501.05 of the Revised Code;

(4) Distribute the statement, "applying to register or declining to register to vote will not affect or be a condition of your receiving a particular grade in or credit for a school course or class, participating in a curricular or extracurricular activity, receiving a benefit or privilege, or participating in a program or activity otherwise available to pupils enrolled in this school district's schools.";

(5) Establish a method by which the voter registration application and other voter registration forms are transmitted to the board of elections within five days after being accepted by the public high school or vocational school.

(H) Any person employed by the designated agency, public high school or vocational school, public library, or office of a county treasurer may be designated to assist with voter registration pursuant to this section. The designated agency, public high school or vocational school, public library, or office of a county treasurer shall provide the designated person, and make available such space as may be necessary, without charge to the county or state.

(I) The secretary of state shall prepare and cause to be displayed in a prominent location in each designated agency a notice that identifies the person designated to assist with voter registration, the nature of that person's duties, and where and when that person is available for assisting in the registration of voters.

A designated agency may furnish additional supplies and services to disseminate information to increase public awareness of the existence of a person designated to assist with voter registration in every designated agency.

(J) This section does not limit any authority a board of education, superintendent, or principal has to allow, sponsor, or promote voluntary election registration programs within a high school or vocational school, including programs in which pupils serve as persons designated to assist with voter registration, provided that no pupil is required to participate.

(K) Each public library and office of the county treasurer shall establish a method by which voter registration forms are transmitted to the board of elections within five days after being accepted by the public library or office of the county treasurer.

(L) The department of job and family services and its departments, divisions, and programs shall limit administration of the aspects of the voter registration program for the department to the requirements prescribed by the secretary of state and the requirements of this section and the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.

Sec. 3503.11. When any person applies for a driver's license, commercial driver's license, a state of Ohio identification card issued under section 4507.50 of the Revised Code, or motorcycle operator's license or endorsement, or the renewal or duplicate of any license or endorsement under Chapter 4506. or 4507. of the Revised Code, the registrar of motor vehicles or deputy registrar shall offer the applicant the opportunity to register to vote or to update the applicant's voter registration. The registrar of motor vehicles or deputy registrar also shall make available to all other customers voter registration applications and change of residence and change of name, forms, but is not required to offer assistance to these customers in completing a voter registration application or other form.

The deputy registrar shall send any registration application or any change of residence or change of name form that was completed and submitted in paper form, along with a copy of the front and back of the person's photo identification, to the deputy registrar to the board of elections of the county in which the office of the deputy registrar is located, within five days after accepting the application or other form. The registrar shall send any completed registration application received at the bureau of motor vehicles headquarters location and any completed change of residence or change of name form processed electronically in systems or programs operated and maintained by the bureau of motor vehicles to the secretary of state within five days after accepting the application or other form.

The registrar shall provide, at no cost to the person, either an electronic or paper copy of the front and back of the person's photo identification to be transmitted along with any registration application or any change of residence or change of name form.

The registrar shall collect from each deputy registrar through the reports filed under division (J) of section 4503.03 of the Revised Code and transmit to the secretary of state information on the number of voter registration applications and change of residence or change of name forms completed or declined, and any additional information required by the secretary of state to comply with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. No information relating to an applicant's decision to decline to register or update the applicant's voter registration at the office of the registrar or deputy registrar may be used for any purpose other than voter registration record-keeping required by the secretary of state, and all such information shall be kept confidential.

The secretary of state shall prescribe voter registration applications and change of residence and change of name forms for use by the bureau of motor vehicles. The bureau of motor vehicles shall supply all of its deputy registrars with a sufficient number of voter registration applications and change of residence and change of name forms.

Sec. 3503.14. (A) The secretary of state shall prescribe the form and content of the registration, change of residence, and change of name forms used in this state. The forms shall meet the requirements of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and shall include spaces for all of the following:

(1) The voter's name;

(2) The voter's address;

(3) The current date;

(4) The voter's date of birth;

(5) The voter to provide ~~one or more~~ all of the following:

(a) The voter's Ohio driver's license or state identification card number~~, if any~~;

(b) The last four digits of the voter's social security number~~, if any~~;

(c) A copy of the front and back of a ~~current and valid~~ photo identification, a copy of a military identification, or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document, other than a notice of voter registration mailed by a board of elections under section 3503.19 of the Revised Code, that shows the voter's name and address.

(6) The voter's signature.

The registration form shall include a space on which the person registering an applicant shall sign the person's name and provide the person's address and a space on which the person registering an applicant shall name the employer who is employing that person to register the applicant.

Except for forms prescribed by the secretary of state under section 3503.11 of the Revised Code, the secretary of state shall permit boards of elections to produce forms that have subdivided spaces for each individual alphanumeric character of the information provided by the voter so as to accommodate the electronic reading and conversion of the voter's information to data and the subsequent electronic transfer of that data to the statewide voter registration database established under section 3503.15 of the Revised Code.

(B) None of the following persons who are registering an applicant in the course of that official's or employee's normal duties shall sign the person's name, provide the person's address, or name the employer who is employing the person to register an applicant on a form prepared under this section:

(1) An election official;

(2) A county treasurer;

(3) A deputy registrar of motor vehicles;

(4) An employee of a designated agency;

(5) An employee of a public high school;

(6) An employee of a public vocational school;

(7) An employee of a public library;

(8) An employee of the office of a county treasurer;

(9) An employee of the bureau of motor vehicles;

(10) An employee of a deputy registrar of motor vehicles;

(11) An employee of an election official.

(C) Except as provided in section 3501.382 of the Revised Code, any applicant who is unable to sign the applicant's own name shall make an "X," if possible, which shall be certified by the signing of the name of the applicant by the person filling out the form, who shall add the person's own signature. If an applicant is unable to make an "X," the applicant shall indicate in some manner that the applicant desires to register to vote or to change the applicant's name or residence. The person registering the applicant shall sign the form and attest that the applicant indicated that the applicant desired to register to vote or to change the applicant's name or residence.

(D) No registration, change of residence, or change of name form shall be rejected solely on the basis that a person registering an applicant failed to sign the person's name or failed to name the employer who is employing that person to register the applicant as required under division (A) of this section.

(E) A voter registration application submitted online through the internet pursuant to section 3503.20 of the Revised Code is not required to contain a signature to be considered valid. The signature obtained under division (B) of that section shall be considered the applicant's signature for all election and signature-matching purposes.

(F) A registration, change of residence, or change of name form returned in person shall be returned directly to officials or employees of the secretary of state or a board of elections. A registration, change of residence, or change of name form returned in person shall include a copy of the front and back of the person's photo identification. If a person other than the person for whom the registration, change of residence, or change of name form is for returns the registration or form, that person shall also show the person's photo identification to the officials or employees.

(G) As used in this section, "registering an applicant" includes any effort, for compensation, to provide voter registration forms or to assist persons in completing or returning those forms.

Sec. 3503.16. (A) Except as otherwise provided in division (E) of section 111.44 of the Revised Code, whenever a registered elector changes the place of residence of that registered elector from one precinct to another within a county or from one county to another, or has a change of name, that registered elector shall report the change by delivering a change of residence or change of name form, whichever is appropriate, as prescribed by the secretary of state under section 3503.14 of the Revised Code to the state or local office of a designated agency, a public high school or vocational school, a public library, the office of the county treasurer, the office of the secretary of state, any office of the registrar or deputy registrar of motor vehicles, or any office of a board of elections in person or by a third person. Any voter registration, change of address, or change of name application, returned by mail, may be sent only to the secretary of state or the board of elections.

A registered elector also may update the registration of that registered elector by filing a change of residence or change of name form on the day of a special, primary, or general election at the polling place in the precinct in which that registered elector resides or at the board of elections or at another site designated by the board.

(B)(1)(a) Any registered elector who moves within a precinct on or prior to the day of a general, primary, or special election and has not filed a notice of change of residence with the board of elections may vote in that election by going to the office of the board of elections during the time that absent voter's ballots may be cast in person or to that registered elector's assigned polling place, completing and signing a notice of change of residence, showing ~~identification in the form of a current and valid~~ photo identification, a military identification, or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document, other than a notice of voter registration mailed by a board of elections under section 3503.19 of the Revised Code, that shows the name and current address of the elector, and casting a ballot.

(b) Any registered elector who changes the name of that registered elector and remains within a precinct on or prior to the day of a general, primary, or special election and has not filed a notice of change of name with the board of elections may vote in that election by going to the office of the board of elections during the time that absent voter's ballots may be cast in person or to that registered elector's assigned polling place, completing and signing a notice of a change of name, and casting a provisional ballot under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code. If the registered elector provides to the precinct election officials proof of a legal name change, such as a marriage license or court order that includes the elector's current and prior names, the elector may complete and sign a notice of change of name and cast a regular ballot.

(2) Any registered elector who moves from one precinct to another within a county or moves from one precinct to another and changes the name of that registered elector on or prior to the day of a general, primary, or special election and has not filed a notice of change of residence or change of name, whichever is appropriate, with the board of elections may vote in that election if that registered elector complies with division (G) of this section or does all of the following:

(a) Appears at anytime during regular business hours on or after the twenty-eighth day prior to the election in which that registered elector wishes to vote or, if the election is held on the day of a presidential primary election, the twenty-fifth day prior to the election, through noon of the Saturday prior to the election at the office of the board of elections~~, appears at any time~~ during the time that absent voter's ballots may be cast in person or during regular business hours on the Monday prior to the election ~~at the office of the board of elections,~~ or appears on the day of the election at ~~either of the following locations:~~

~~(i) The~~ the polling place for the precinct in which that registered elector resides;

~~(ii) The~~ or at the office of the board of elections or, if pursuant to division (C) of section 3501.10 of the Revised Code the board has designated another location in the county at which registered electors may vote, at that other location instead of the office of the board of elections.;

(b) Completes and signs, under penalty of election falsification, the written affirmation on the provisional ballot envelope, which shall serve as a notice of change of residence or change of name, whichever is appropriate;

(c) Votes a provisional ballot under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code at the polling place, at the office of the board of elections, or, if pursuant to division (C) of section 3501.10 of the Revised Code the board has designated another location in the county at which registered electors may vote, at that other location instead of the office of the board of elections, whichever is appropriate, using the address to which that registered elector has moved or the name of that registered elector as changed, whichever is appropriate;

(d) Completes and signs, under penalty of election falsification, a statement attesting that that registered elector moved or had a change of name, whichever is appropriate, on or prior to the day of the election, has voted a provisional ballot at the polling place for the precinct in which that registered elector resides, at the office of the board of elections, or, if pursuant to division (C) of section 3501.10 of the Revised Code the board has designated another location in the county at which registered electors may vote, at that other location instead of the office of the board of elections, whichever is appropriate, and will not vote or attempt to vote at any other location for that particular election.

(C) Any registered elector who moves from one county to another county within the state on or prior to the day of a general, primary, or special election and has not registered to vote in the county to which that registered elector moved may vote in that election if that registered elector complies with division (G) of this section or does all of the following:

(1) Appears at any time during regular business hours on or after the twenty-eighth day prior to the election in which that registered elector wishes to vote or, if the election is held on the day of a presidential primary election, the twenty-fifth day prior to the election, through noon of the Saturday prior to the election at the office of the board of elections or, if pursuant to division (C) of section 3501.10 of the Revised Code the board has designated another location in the county at which registered electors may vote, at that other location instead of the office of the board of elections during the time that absent voter's ballots may be cast in person, ~~appears~~ during regular business hours on the Monday prior to the election at the office of the board of elections or, if pursuant to division (C) of section 3501.10 of the Revised Code the board has designated another location in the county at which registered electors may vote, at that other location instead of the office of the board of elections, or ~~appears~~ on the day of the election at the office of the board of elections or, if pursuant to division (C) of section 3501.10 of the Revised Code the board has designated another location in the county at which registered electors may vote, at that other location instead of the office of the board of elections;

(2) Completes and signs, under penalty of election falsification, the written affirmation on the provisional ballot envelope, which shall serve as a notice of change of residence;

(3) Votes a provisional ballot under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code at the office of the board of elections or, if pursuant to division (C) of section 3501.10 of the Revised Code the board has designated another location in the county at which registered electors may vote, at that other location instead of the office of the board of elections, using the address to which that registered elector has moved;

(4) Completes and signs, under penalty of election falsification, a statement attesting that that registered elector has moved from one county to another county within the state on or prior to the day of the election, has voted ~~at the office of the board of elections or~~ a provisional ballot, if pursuant to division (C) of section 3501.10 of the Revised Code the board has designated another location in the county at which registered electors may vote, at that other location instead of the office of the board of elections, and will not vote or attempt to vote at any other location for that particular election.

(D) A person who votes by absent voter's ballots pursuant to division (G) of this section shall not make written application for the ballots pursuant to Chapter 3509. of the Revised Code. Ballots cast pursuant to division (G) of this section shall be set aside in a special envelope and counted during the official canvass of votes in the manner provided for in sections 3505.32 and 3509.06 of the Revised Code insofar as that manner is applicable. The board shall examine the pollbooks to verify that no ballot was cast at the polls or by absent voter's ballots under Chapter 3509. or 3511. of the Revised Code by an elector who has voted by absent voter's ballots pursuant to division (G) of this section. Any ballot determined to be insufficient for any of the reasons stated above or stated in section 3509.07 of the Revised Code shall not be counted.

Subject to division (C) of section 3501.10 of the Revised Code, a board of elections may lease or otherwise acquire a site different from the office of the board at which registered electors may vote pursuant to division (B) or (C) of this section.

(E) Upon receiving a notice of change of residence or change of name, the board of elections shall immediately send the registrant an acknowledgment notice. If the change of residence or change of name notice is valid, the board shall update the voter's registration as appropriate. If that form is incomplete, the board shall inform the registrant in the acknowledgment notice specified in this division of the information necessary to complete or update that registrant's registration.

(F) Change of residence and change of name forms shall be available at each polling place, and when these forms are completed, noting changes of residence or name, as appropriate, they shall be filed with election officials at the polling place. Election officials shall return completed forms, together with the pollbooks and tally sheets, to the board of elections.

The board of elections shall provide change of residence and change of name forms to the probate court and court of common pleas. The court shall provide the forms to any person eighteen years of age or older who has a change of name by order of the court or who applies for a marriage license. The court shall forward all completed forms to the board of elections within five days after receiving them.

(G) A registered elector who otherwise would qualify to vote under division (B) or (C) of this section but is unable to appear at the office of the board of elections or, if pursuant to division (C) of section 3501.10 of the Revised Code the board has designated another location in the county at which registered electors may vote, at that other location, on account of personal illness, physical disability, or infirmity, may vote ~~on the day of~~ in the election if that registered elector does all of the following:

(1) Makes a written application that includes all of the information required under section 3509.03 of the Revised Code to the appropriate board for an absent voter's ballot ~~on or after the twenty-seventh day prior to the election in which the registered elector wishes to vote through noon of the Saturday prior to that election~~ in accordance with the deadlines described in that section and requests that the absent voter's ballot be sent to the address to which the registered elector has moved if the registered elector has moved, or to the address of that registered elector who has not moved but has had a change of name;

(2) Declares that the registered elector has moved or had a change of name, whichever is appropriate, and otherwise is qualified to vote under the circumstances described in division (B) or (C) of this section, whichever is appropriate, but that the registered elector is unable to appear at the board of elections because of personal illness, physical disability, or infirmity;

(3) Completes and returns along with the completed absent voter's ballot a notice of change of residence indicating the address to which the registered elector has moved, or a notice of change of name, whichever is appropriate;

(4) Completes and signs, under penalty of election falsification, a statement attesting that the registered elector has moved or had a change of name on or prior to the day before the election, has voted by absent voter's ballot because of personal illness, physical disability, or infirmity that prevented the registered elector from appearing at the board of elections, and will not vote or attempt to vote at any other location or by absent voter's ballot mailed to any other location or address for that particular election.

Sec. 3503.19. (A) Persons qualified to register or to change their registration because of a change of address or change of name may register or change their registration in person at any state or local office of a designated agency, at the office of the registrar or any deputy registrar of motor vehicles, at a public high school or vocational school, at a public library, at the office of a county treasurer, or at a branch office established by the board of elections, or in person, through another person, or by mail at the office of the secretary of state or at the office of a board of elections. A registered elector may also change the elector's registration on election day at any polling place where the elector is eligible to vote, in the manner provided under section 3503.16 of the Revised Code.

Any state or local office of a designated agency, the office of the registrar or any deputy registrar of motor vehicles, a public high school or vocational school, a public library, or the office of a county treasurer shall transmit any voter registration application or change of registration form that it receives to the board of elections of the county in which the state or local office is located, within five days after receiving the voter registration application or change of registration form.

An otherwise valid voter registration application that is returned to the appropriate office other than by mail must be received by a state or local office of a designated agency, the office of the registrar or any deputy registrar of motor vehicles, a public high school or vocational school, a public library, the office of a county treasurer, the office of the secretary of state, or the office of a board of elections no later than the thirtieth day preceding a primary, special, or general election for the person to qualify as an elector eligible to vote at that election. An otherwise valid registration application received after that day entitles the elector to vote at all subsequent elections.

Any state or local office of a designated agency, the office of the registrar or any deputy registrar of motor vehicles, a public high school or vocational school, a public library, or the office of a county treasurer shall date stamp a registration application or change of name or change of address form it receives using a date stamp that does not disclose the identity of the state or local office that receives the registration.

Voter registration applications, if otherwise valid, that are returned by mail to the office of the secretary of state or to the office of a board of elections must be postmarked no later than the thirtieth day preceding a primary, special, or general election in order for the person to qualify as an elector eligible to vote at that election. If an otherwise valid voter registration application that is returned by mail does not bear a postmark or a legible postmark, the registration shall be valid for that election if received by the office of the secretary of state or the office of a board of elections no later than twenty-five days preceding any special, primary, or general election.

(B)(1) Any person may apply in person, by telephone, by mail, or through another person for voter registration forms to the office of the secretary of state or the office of a board of elections. An individual who is eligible to vote as a uniformed services voter or an overseas voter in accordance with 42 U.S.C. 1973ff-6 also may apply for voter registration forms by electronic means to the office of the secretary of state or to the board of elections of the county in which the person's voting residence is located pursuant to section 3503.191 of the Revised Code.

(2)(a) An applicant may return the applicant's completed registration form in person or by mail to any state or local office of a designated agency, to a public high school or vocational school, to a public library, to the office of a county treasurer, to the office of the secretary of state, or to the office of a board of elections. An applicant who is eligible to vote as a uniformed services voter or an overseas voter in accordance with 42 U.S.C. 1973ff-6 also may return the applicant's completed voter registration form electronically to the office of the secretary of state or to the board of elections of the county in which the person's voting residence is located pursuant to section 3503.191 of the Revised Code.

(b) Subject to division (B)(2)(c) of this section, an applicant may return the applicant's completed registration form through another person to any board of elections or the office of the secretary of state.

(c) A person who receives compensation for registering a voter shall return any registration form entrusted to that person by an applicant to any board of elections or to the office of the secretary of state.

(d) If a board of elections or the office of the secretary of state receives a registration form under division (B)(2)(b) or (c) of this section before the thirtieth day before an election, the board or the office of the secretary of state, as applicable, shall forward the registration to the board of elections of the county in which the applicant is seeking to register to vote within ten days after receiving the application. If a board of elections or the office of the secretary of state receives a registration form under division (B)(2)(b) or (c) of this section on or after the thirtieth day before an election, the board or the office of the secretary of state, as applicable, shall forward the registration to the board of elections of the county in which the applicant is seeking to register to vote within thirty days after that election.

(C)(1) A board of elections that receives a voter registration application and is satisfied as to the truth of the statements made in the registration form shall register the applicant not later than twenty business days after receiving the application, unless that application is received during the thirty days immediately preceding the day of an election. The board shall promptly notify the applicant in writing of each of the following:

(a) The applicant's registration;

(b) The precinct in which the applicant is to vote;

"Voters must bring photo identification or a United States passport that is not expired to the polls in order to verify identity. Identification may include a current and valid photo identification, a military identification, or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document, other than this notification, that shows the voter's name and current address. Voters who ~~do not provide one of these documents~~ have a religious objection to being photographed will still be able to vote ~~by casting a provisional ballot. Voters who do not have any of the above forms of identification, including a social security number, will still be able to vote~~ by signing an affirmation ~~swearing to the voter's identity~~ to that effect under penalty of election falsification and by casting a provisional ballot."

The notification shall be by nonforwardable mail. If the mail is returned to the board, it shall investigate and cause the notification to be delivered to the correct address.

(2) If, after investigating as required under division (C)(1) of this section, the board is unable to verify the voter's correct address, it shall cause the voter's name in the official registration list and in the poll list or signature pollbook to be marked to indicate that the voter's notification was returned to the board.

At the first election at which a voter whose name has been so marked appears to vote, the voter shall be required to provide photo identification to the election officials and to vote by provisional ballot under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code. If the provisional ballot is counted pursuant to division (B)(3) of section 3505.183 of the Revised Code, the board shall correct that voter's registration, if needed, and shall remove the indication that the voter's notification was returned from that voter's name on the official registration list and on the poll list or signature pollbook. If the provisional ballot is not counted pursuant to division (B)(4)(a)(i), (v), or (vi) of section 3505.183 of the Revised Code, the voter's registration shall be canceled. The board shall notify the voter by United States mail of the cancellation.

(3) If a notice of the disposition of an otherwise valid registration application is sent by nonforwardable mail and is returned undelivered, the person shall be registered as provided in division (C)(2) of this section and sent a confirmation notice by forwardable mail. If the person fails to respond to the confirmation notice, update the person's registration, or vote by provisional ballot as provided in division (C)(2) of this section in any election during the period of two federal elections subsequent to the mailing of the confirmation notice, the person's registration shall be canceled.

Sec. 3503.20. (A) The secretary of state shall establish a secure online voter registration system. The system shall provide for all of the following:

(1) An applicant to submit a voter registration application to the secretary of state online through the internet;

(2) The online applicant to be registered to vote, if all of the following apply:

(a) The application contains all of the following information:

(i) The applicant's name;

(ii) The applicant's address;

(iii) The applicant's date of birth;

(iv) The last four digits of the applicant's social security number;

(v) The applicant's Ohio driver's license number or the number of the applicant's state identification card issued under section 4507.50 of the Revised Code;

(vi) An uploaded copy of the front and back of the applicant's photo identification.

(b) The applicant's name, address, and date of birth, the last four digits of the applicant's social security number, and the applicant's Ohio driver's license number or the number of the applicant's state identification card as they are provided in the application are not inconsistent with the information on file with the bureau of motor vehicles;

(c) The applicant is a United States citizen, will have lived in this state for thirty days immediately preceding the next election, will be at least eighteen years of age on or before the day of the next general election, and is otherwise eligible to register to vote;

(d) The applicant attests to the truth and accuracy of the information submitted in the online application under penalty of election falsification.

(B) If an individual registers to vote or a registered elector updates the elector's name, address, or both under this section, the secretary of state shall obtain an electronic copy of the applicant's or elector's signature that is on file with the bureau of motor vehicles. That electronic signature shall be used as the applicant's or elector's signature on voter registration records, for all election and signature-matching purposes.

(C) The secretary of state shall employ whatever security measures the secretary of state considers necessary to ensure the integrity and accuracy of voter registration information submitted electronically pursuant to this section. Errors in processing voter registration applications in the online system shall not prevent an applicant from becoming registered or from voting.

(D) The online voter registration application established under division (A) of this section shall include the following language:

"By clicking the box below, I affirm all of the following under penalty of election falsification, which is a felony of the fifth degree:

(1) I am the person whose name and identifying information is provided on this form, and I desire to register to vote, or update my voter registration, in the State of Ohio.

(2) All of the information I have provided on this form is true and correct as of the date I am submitting this form.

(3) I am a United States citizen.

(4) I will have lived in Ohio for thirty days immediately preceding the next election.

(5) I will be at least eighteen years of age on or before the day of the next general election.

(6) I authorize the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to transmit to the Ohio Secretary of State my signature that is on file with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and I understand and agree that the signature transmitted by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles will be used by the Secretary of State to validate this electronic voter registration application as if I had signed this form personally."

In order to register to vote or update a voter registration under division (A) of this section, an applicant or elector shall be required to mark the box in the online voter registration application that appears in conjunction with the previous statement.

(E) The online voter registration process established under division (A) of this section shall be in operation and available for use by individuals who wish to register to vote or update their voter registration information online not earlier than January 1, 2017. During the period beginning on the first day after the close of voter registration before an election and ending on the day of the election, the online voter registration system shall display a notice indicating that the applicant will not be registered to vote for the purposes of that election.

(F) Notwithstanding section 1.50 of the Revised Code, if any provision of this section or of division (E) of section 3503.14 of the Revised Code is held invalid, or if the application of any provision of this section or of that division to any person or circumstance is held invalid, then this section and that division cease to operate.

Sec. 3503.28. (A) The secretary of state shall develop an information brochure regarding voter registration. The brochure shall include, but is not limited to, all of the following information:

(1) The applicable deadlines for registering to vote or for returning an applicant's completed registration form;

(2) The applicable deadline for returning an applicant's completed registration form if the person returning the form is being compensated for registering voters;

(3) The locations to which a person may return an applicant's completed registration form and the requirement to provide photo identification when returning a completed registration form;

(4) The ~~location~~ locations to which a person who is compensated for registering voters may return an applicant's completed registration form and the requirement to provide photo identification when returning a completed registration form;

(5) The registration and affirmation requirements applicable to persons who are compensated for registering voters under section 3503.29 of the Revised Code;

(6) A notice, which shall be written in bold type, stating as follows:

"Voters must bring photo identification or a United States passport that is not expired to the polls in order to verify identity. Identification may include a current and valid photo identification, a military identification, or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document, other than a voter registration notification sent by a board of elections, that shows the voter's name and current address. Voters who ~~do not provide one of these documents~~ have a religious objection to being photographed will still be able to vote ~~by casting a provisional ballot. Voters who do not have any of the above~~ ~~forms of identification, including a social security number, will still be able to vote~~ by signing an affirmation ~~swearing to the voter's identity~~ to that effect under penalty of election falsification and by casting a provisional ballot."

(B) Except as otherwise provided in division (D) of this section, a board of elections, designated agency, public high school, public vocational school, public library, office of a county treasurer, or deputy registrar of motor vehicles shall distribute a copy of the brochure developed under division (A) of this section to any person who requests more than two voter registration forms at one time.

(C)(1) The secretary of state shall provide the information required to be included in the brochure developed under division (A) of this section to any person who prints a voter registration form that is made available on a web site of the office of the secretary of state.

(2) If a board of elections operates and maintains a web site, the board shall provide the information required to be included in the brochure developed under division (A) of this section to any person who prints a voter registration form that is made available on that web site.

(D) A board of elections shall not be required to distribute a copy of a brochure under division (B) of this section to any of the following officials or employees who are requesting more than two voter registration forms at one time in the course of the official's or employee's normal duties:

(1) An election official;

(2) A county treasurer;

(3) A deputy registrar of motor vehicles;

(4) An employee of a designated agency;

(5) An employee of a public high school;

(6) An employee of a public vocational school;

(7) An employee of a public library;

(8) An employee of the office of a county treasurer;

(9) An employee of the bureau of motor vehicles;

(10) An employee of a deputy registrar of motor vehicles;

(11) An employee of an election official.

(E) As used in this section, "registering voters" includes any effort, for compensation, to provide voter registration forms or to assist persons in completing or returning those forms.

Sec. 3505.08. (A) Ballots shall be provided by the board of elections for all general and special elections. The ballots shall be printed with black ink on No. 2 white book paper fifty pounds in weight per ream assuming such ream to consist of five hundred sheets of such paper twenty-five by thirty-eight inches in size. Each ballot shall have attached at the top two stubs, each of the width of the ballot and not less than one-half inch in length, except that, if the board of elections has an alternate method to account for the ballots that the secretary of state has authorized, each ballot may have only one stub that shall be the width of the ballot and not less than one-half inch in length. In the case of ballots with two stubs, the stubs shall be separated from the ballot and from each other by perforated lines. The top stub shall be known as Stub B and shall have printed on its face "Stub B." The other stub shall be known as Stub A and shall have printed on its face "Stub A." Each stub shall also have printed on its face "Consecutive Number __________"

Each ballot of each kind of ballot provided for use in each precinct shall be numbered consecutively beginning with number 1 by printing such number upon both of the stubs attached to the ballot. On ballots bearing the names of candidates, each candidate's name shall be printed in twelve point boldface upper case type in an enclosed rectangular space, and an enclosed blank rectangular space shall be provided at the left of the candidate's name. The name of the political party of a candidate nominated at a primary election, nominated by petition under section 3517.012 of the Revised Code, or certified by a party committee shall be printed in ten point lightface upper and lower case type and shall be separated by a two point blank space. The name of each candidate shall be indented one space within the enclosed rectangular space, and the name of the political party shall be indented two spaces within the enclosed rectangular space.

The title of each office on the ballots shall be printed in twelve point boldface upper and lower case type in a separate enclosed rectangular space. A four point rule shall separate the name of a candidate or a group of candidates for the same office from the title of the office next appearing below on the ballot; a two point rule shall separate the title of the office from the names of candidates; and a one point rule shall separate names of candidates. Headings shall be printed in display Roman type. When the names of several candidates are grouped together as candidates for the same office, there shall be printed on the ballots immediately below the title of the office and within the separate rectangular space in which the title is printed "Vote for not more than ________," in six point boldface upper and lower case filling the blank space with that number which will indicate the number of persons who may be lawfully elected to the office.

Columns on ballots shall be separated from each other by a heavy vertical border or solid line at least one-eighth of an inch wide, and a similar vertical border or line shall enclose the left and right side of ballots. Ballots shall be trimmed along the sides close to such lines.

The ballots provided for by this section shall be comprised of four kinds of ballots designated as follows: office type ballot; nonpartisan ballot; questions and issues ballot; and presidential ballot.

On the back of each office type ballot shall be printed "Official Office Type Ballot;" on the back of each nonpartisan ballot shall be printed "Official Nonpartisan Ballot;" on the back of each questions and issues ballot shall be printed "Official Questions and Issues Ballot;" and on the back of each presidential ballot shall be printed "Official Presidential Ballot." At the end of every ballot also shall be printed the date of the election at which the ballot is used ~~and the facsimile signatures of the members of the board of the county in which the ballot is used~~. For the purpose of identifying the kind of ballot, the back of every ballot may be numbered in the order the board shall determine. The numbers shall be printed in not less than thirty-six point type above the words "Official Office Type Ballot," "Official Nonpartisan Ballot," "Official Questions and Issues Ballot," or "Official Presidential Ballot," as the case may be. A ballot box bearing corresponding numbers shall be furnished for each precinct in which the above-described numbered ballots are used.

On the back of every ballot used, there shall be a solid black line printed opposite the blank rectangular space that is used to mark the choice of the voter. This line shall be printed wide enough so that the mark in the blank rectangular space will not be visible from the back side of the ballot.

Sample ballots may be printed by the board of elections for all general elections. The ballots shall be printed on colored paper, and "Sample Ballot" shall be plainly printed in boldface type on the face of each ballot. In counties of less than one hundred thousand population, the board may print not more than five hundred sample ballots; in all other counties, it may print not more than one thousand sample ballots. The sample ballots shall not be distributed by a political party or a candidate, nor shall a political party or candidate cause their title or name to be imprinted on sample ballots.

(B) Notwithstanding division (A) of this section, in approving the form of an official ballot, the secretary of state may authorize the use of fonts, type face settings, and ballot formats other than those prescribed in that division.

Sec. 3505.18. (A)(1) When an elector appears in a polling place to vote, the elector shall announce to the precinct election officials the elector's full name and current address and provide proof of the elector's identity in the form of a ~~current and valid~~ photo identification, a military identification, or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document, other than a notice of voter registration mailed by a board of elections under section 3503.19 of the Revised Code, that shows the name and current address of the elector or a United States passport that is not expired.

(2) If an elector does not have or is unable to provide photo identification or a United States passport that is not expired to the precinct election officials because the elector has a religious objection to being photographed, the elector may execute an affirmation under penalty of election falsification to that effect and cast a provisional ballot under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code. The secretary of state shall prescribe the form of the affirmation, which shall include spaces for all of the following:

(a) The elector's name;

(b) The elector's address;

(d) The elector's date of birth;

(e) The elector's signature;

(f) A statement that the elector has a religious objection to being photographed.

(3) If an elector does not have or is unable to provide photo identification, as defined in division (AA) of section 3501.01 of the Revised Code, or a United States passport that is not expired to the precinct election officials ~~any of the forms of identification required under division (A)(1) of this section~~but does not have a religious objection to being photographed, the elector may cast a provisional ballot under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code and do either of the following:

(a) Write the elector's Ohio driver's license or state identification card number or the last four digits of the elector's social security number on the provisional ballot envelope; or

(b) Appear at the office of the board of elections not later than the seventh day after the day of the election and provide ~~the~~ photo identification ~~required under division (A)(1) of this section~~, the elector's Ohio driver's license or state identification card number, or the last four digits of the elector's social security number.

(B) After the elector has announced the elector's full name and current address and provided ~~any of the forms of~~ photo identification required under division (A)(1) of this section, the elector shall ~~write~~ confirm the elector's name and address by signing the elector's name at the proper place in the poll list or signature pollbook provided for the purpose, except that if, for any reason, an elector is unable to ~~write~~ sign the elector's name ~~and current address~~ in the poll list or signature pollbook, the elector may make the elector's mark at the place intended for the elector's name, and a precinct election official shall write the name of the elector at the proper place on the poll list or signature pollbook following the elector's mark. The making of such a mark shall be attested by the precinct election official, who shall evidence the same by signing the precinct election official's name on the poll list or signature pollbook as a witness to the mark. Alternatively, if applicable, an attorney in fact acting pursuant to section 3501.382 of the Revised Code may sign the elector's signature in the poll list or signature pollbook in accordance with that section.

The elector's signature in the poll list or signature pollbook then shall be compared with the elector's signature on the elector's registration form or a digitized signature list as provided for in section 3503.13 of the Revised Code, and if, in the opinion of a majority of the precinct election officials, the signatures are the signatures of the same person, the election officials shall enter the date of the election on the registration form or shall record the date by other means prescribed by the secretary of state. The validity of an attorney in fact's signature on behalf of an elector shall be determined in accordance with section 3501.382 of the Revised Code.

If the right of the elector to vote is not then challenged, or, if being challenged, the elector establishes the elector's right to vote, the elector shall be allowed to proceed to use the voting machine. If voting machines are not being used in that precinct, the precinct election official in charge of ballots shall then detach the next ballots to be issued to the elector from Stub B attached to each ballot, leaving Stub A attached to each ballot, hand the ballots to the elector, and call the elector's name and the stub number on each of the ballots. The precinct election official shall enter the stub numbers opposite the signature of the elector in the pollbook. The elector shall then retire to one of the voting compartments to mark the elector's ballots. No mark shall be made on any ballot which would in any way enable any person to identify the person who voted the ballot.

Sec. 3505.181. (A) All of the following individuals shall be permitted to cast a provisional ballot at an election:

(1) An individual who declares that the individual is a registered voter in the precinct in which the individual desires to vote and that the individual is eligible to vote in an election, but the name of the individual does not appear on the official list of eligible voters for the precinct or an election official asserts that the individual is not eligible to vote;

(2) An individual who does not have or is unable to provide photo identification to the election officials ~~any of the forms of identification required under division (A)(1) of section 3505.18 of the Revised Code~~;

(3) An individual whose name in the poll list or signature pollbook has been marked under section 3509.09 or 3511.13 of the Revised Code as having requested an absent voter's ballot or a uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballot for that election and who appears to vote at the polling place;

(4) An individual whose notification of registration has been returned undelivered to the board of elections and whose name in the official registration list and in the poll list or signature pollbook has been marked under division (C)(2) of section 3503.19 of the Revised Code;

(5) An individual who has been successfully challenged under section 3505.20 or 3513.20 of the Revised Code;

(6) An individual who changes the individual's name and remains within the precinct without providing proof of that name change under division (B)(1)(b) of section 3503.16 of the Revised Code, moves from one precinct to another within a county, moves from one precinct to another and changes the individual's name, or moves from one county to another within the state, and completes and signs the required forms and statements under division (B) or (C) of section 3503.16 of the Revised Code;

(7) An individual whose signature, in the opinion of the precinct officers under section 3505.22 of the Revised Code, is not that of the person who signed that name in the registration forms.

(B) An individual who is eligible to cast a provisional ballot under division (A) of this section shall be permitted to cast a provisional ballot as follows:

(1) An election official at the polling place shall notify the individual that the individual may cast a provisional ballot in that election.

(2) Except as otherwise provided in division (F) of this section, the individual shall complete and execute a written affirmation before an election official at the polling place stating that the individual is both of the following:

(a) A registered voter in the precinct in which the individual desires to vote;

(b) Eligible to vote in that election.

(3) An election official at the polling place shall transmit the ballot cast by the individual and the voter information contained in the written affirmation executed by the individual under division (B)(2) of this section to an appropriate local election official for verification under division (B)(4) of this section.

(4) If the appropriate local election official to whom the ballot or voter or address information is transmitted under division (B)(3) of this section determines that the individual is eligible to vote, the individual's provisional ballot shall be counted as a vote in that election.

(5)(a) At the time that an individual casts a provisional ballot, the appropriate local election official shall give the individual written information that states that any individual who casts a provisional ballot will be able to ascertain under the system established under division (B)(5)(b) of this section whether the vote was counted, and, if the vote was not counted, the reason that the vote was not counted.

(b) The appropriate state or local election official shall establish a free access system, in the form of a toll-free telephone number, that any individual who casts a provisional ballot may access to discover whether the vote of that individual was counted, and, if the vote was not counted, the reason that the vote was not counted. The free access system established under this division also shall provide to an individual whose provisional ballot was not counted information explaining how that individual may contact the board of elections to register to vote or to resolve problems with the individual's voter registration.

The appropriate state or local election official shall establish and maintain reasonable procedures necessary to protect the security, confidentiality, and integrity of personal information collected, stored, or otherwise used by the free access system established under this division. The system shall permit an individual only to gain access to information about the individual's own provisional ballot.

(6) If, at the time that an individual casts a provisional ballot, the individual provides photo identification in the form of a current and valid photo identification, a military identification, or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document, other than a notice of voter registration mailed by a board of elections under section 3503.19 of the Revised Code, ~~that shows the individual's name and current address, or provides~~, the individual's Ohio driver's license or state identification card number, or the last four digits of the individual's social security number or executes an affirmation that the individual has a religious objection to being photographed, the individual shall ~~record the type of identification provided or the driver's license, state identification card, or social security number information and~~ include that information on the provisional ballot affirmation under division (B)(3) of this section.

(7) During the seven days after the day of an election, an individual who casts a provisional ballot because the individual does not have or is unable to provide photo identification to the election officials ~~any of the required forms of identification~~ but does not have a religious objection or because the individual has been successfully challenged under section 3505.20 of the Revised Code shall appear at the office of the board of elections and provide to the board any additional information necessary to determine the eligibility of the individual who cast the provisional ballot.

(a) For a provisional ballot cast by an individual who does not have or is unable to provide photo identification to the election officials ~~any of the required forms of identification to be eligible to be counted~~but does not have a religious objection to being photographed, the individual who cast that ballot, within seven days after the day of the election, shall do either of the following:

(i) Provide photo identification to the board of elections ~~proof of the individual's identity in the form of a current and valid photo identification, a military identification, or a copy~~ of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document, other than a notice of voter registration mailed by a board of elections under section 3503.19 of the Revised Code, that shows the individual's name and current address; or

(ii) Provide to the board of elections the individual's Ohio driver's license or state identification card number or the last four digits of the individual's social security number.

(b) For a provisional ballot cast by an individual who has been successfully challenged under section 3505.20 of the Revised Code to be eligible to be counted, the individual who cast that ballot, within seven days after the day of that election, shall provide to the board of elections any identification or other documentation required to be provided by the applicable challenge questions asked of that individual under section 3505.20 of the Revised Code.

(C)(1) If an individual declares that the individual is eligible to vote in a precinct other than the precinct in which the individual desires to vote, or if, upon review of the precinct voting location guide using the residential street address provided by the individual, an election official at the precinct at which the individual desires to vote determines that the individual is not eligible to vote in that precinct, the election official shall direct the individual to the precinct and polling place in which the individual appears to be eligible to vote, explain that the individual may cast a provisional ballot at the current location but the ballot or a portion of the ballot will not be counted if it is cast in the wrong precinct, and provide the telephone number of the board of elections in case the individual has additional questions.

(2) If the individual refuses to travel to the correct precinct or to the office of the board of elections to cast a ballot, the individual shall be permitted to vote a provisional ballot at that precinct in accordance with division (B) of this section. If the individual is in the correct polling location for the precinct in which the individual is registered and eligible to vote, the election official shall complete and sign, under penalty of election falsification, a form that includes all of the following, and attach the form to the individual's provisional ballot affirmation:

(a) The name or number of the individual's correct precinct;

(b) A statement that the election official instructed the individual to travel to the correct precinct to vote;

(c) A statement that the election official informed the individual that casting a provisional ballot in the wrong precinct would result in all or a portion of the votes on the ballot being rejected;

(d) The name or number of the precinct in which the individual is casting a provisional ballot; and

(e) The name of the polling location in which the individual is casting a provisional ballot.

(D) The appropriate local election official shall cause voting information to be publicly posted at each polling place on the day of each election.

(E) As used in this section and sections 3505.182 and 3505.183 of the Revised Code:

(1) "Precinct voting location guide" means either of the following:

(a) An electronic or paper record that lists the correct precinct and polling place for either each specific residential street address in the county or the range of residential street addresses located in each neighborhood block in the county;

(b) Any other method that a board of elections creates that allows a precinct election official or any elector who is at a polling place in that county to determine the correct precinct and polling place of any qualified elector who resides in the county.

(2) "Voting information" means all of the following:

(a) A sample version of the ballot that will be used for that election;

(b) Information regarding the date of the election and the hours during which polling places will be open;

(d) Instructions for mail-in registrants and first-time voters under applicable federal and state laws;

(e) General information on voting rights under applicable federal and state laws, including information on the right of an individual to cast a provisional ballot and instructions on how to contact the appropriate officials if these rights are alleged to have been violated;

(f) General information on federal and state laws regarding prohibitions against acts of fraud and misrepresentation.

(F) Nothing in this section or section 3505.183 of the Revised Code is in derogation of section 3505.24 of the Revised Code, which permits a blind, disabled, or illiterate elector to receive assistance in the marking of the elector's ballot by two precinct election officials of different political parties. A blind, disabled, or illiterate elector may receive assistance in marking that elector's provisional ballot and in completing the required affirmation in the same manner as an elector may receive assistance on the day of an election under that section.

Sec. 3505.182. Each individual who casts a provisional ballot under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code shall execute a written affirmation. The form of the written affirmation shall be printed upon the face of the provisional ballot envelope and shall be as follows:

"Provisional Ballot Affirmation

(A) Clearly print your full name: ___________________

(B) Write your date of birth: _______________________

(C)(1) Write your current address: __________________

_____________________________________________________

(2) Have you moved without updating your voter registration?:

Yes ______ No ______

If yes, write your former address: __________________

_____________________________________________________

Failure to provide your former address will not cause your provisional ballot to be rejected.

(D) Provide one of the following forms of identification:

(1) Write your full Ohio driver's license or state identification card number: ________________________

(2) Write the last four digits of your Social Security number: _______________

(3) If you did not write your full Ohio driver's license or state identification card number or the last four digits of your Social Security number, you must either show ~~one of the following forms of~~ photo identification to the precinct election official or execute an affirmation that you do not have or cannot provide photo identification because you have a religious objection to being photographed. If you do not check one of the following boxes affirming ~~the type of identification~~ which action you ~~showed to the precinct election official~~took, the board of elections will conclude that ~~you did not show identification to your precinct election official and that~~ you must ~~show identification~~ appear at the office of the board of elections during the seven days after the election and provide photo identification, your Ohio driver's license or state identification card number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number for your vote to be eligible to be counted.

______ ~~A form of~~ I showed photo identification that was issued by the United States government or the State of Ohio, that contains your name and current address (or your former address if the identification is an Ohio driver's license or state identification card), and that has an expiration date that has not passed;to the precinct election official.

~~______ A military identification card; or~~

______ ~~A current utility bill, bank statement, government~~ ~~check, paycheck, or other government document, other than a notice of voter registration mailed by a board of elections, that contains your name and current address~~I executed an affirmation that I do not have or cannot provide photo identification because I have a religious objection to being photographed.

(4) If you fail to provide identification ~~at this time~~or to execute an affirmation that you do not have or cannot provide photo identification because you have a religious objection to being photographed, you must go to the board of elections on or before the seventh day following this election to provide a qualifying form of identification in order for this ballot to count.

(E) If your right to vote has been challenged, you must provide any required additional information to the board of elections on or before the seventh day following this election.

(F) Sign and date the following statement:

I solemnly swear or affirm that I am a citizen of the United States; that I will be at least 18 years of age at the time of the general election; that I have lived in this state for 30 days immediately preceding this election in which I am voting this ballot; that I am a registered voter in the precinct in which I am voting this provisional ballot; and that I am eligible to vote in the election in which I am voting this provisional ballot.

I understand that, if the information I provide on this provisional ballot affirmation is not fully completed and correct, if the board of elections determines that I am not registered to vote, a resident of this precinct, or eligible to vote in this election, or if the board of elections determines that I have already voted in this election, my provisional ballot will not be counted. I understand that, if I am not currently registered to vote or if I am not registered at my current address or under my current name, this form will serve as an application to register to vote or update my registration for future elections, as long as I provide all of the information required to register to vote or update my registration. I further understand that knowingly providing false information is a violation of law and subjects me to possible criminal prosecution.

I hereby declare, under penalty of election falsification, that the above statements are true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.

________________________

Signature of Voter

________________________

Date

WHOEVER COMMITS ELECTION FALSIFICATION IS GUILTY OF A FELONY OF THE FIFTH DEGREE."

In addition to any information required to be included on the written affirmation, an individual casting a provisional ballot may provide additional information to the election official to assist the board of elections in determining the individual's eligibility to vote in that election, including the date and location at which the individual registered to vote, if known.

If the individual provided all of the information required under section 3503.14 of the Revised Code to register to vote or to update the individual's registration on the provisional ballot affirmation, the board of elections shall consider the individual's provisional ballot affirmation to also serve as a notice of change of name, change of residence, or both, or as a voter registration form, as applicable, for that individual only for the purposes of future elections.

Sec. 3505.183. (A) When the ballot boxes are delivered to the board of elections from the precincts, the board shall separate the provisional ballot envelopes from the rest of the ballots. Teams of employees of the board consisting of one member of each major political party shall place the sealed provisional ballot envelopes in a secure location within the office of the board. The sealed provisional ballot envelopes shall remain in that secure location until the validity of those ballots is determined under division (B) of this section. While the provisional ballot is stored in that secure location, and prior to the counting of the provisional ballots, if the board receives information regarding the validity of a specific provisional ballot under division (B) of this section, the board may note, on the sealed provisional ballot envelope for that ballot, whether the ballot is valid and entitled to be counted.

(B)(1) To determine whether a provisional ballot is valid and entitled to be counted, the board shall examine its records and determine whether the individual who cast the provisional ballot is registered and eligible to vote in the applicable election. The board shall examine the information contained in the written affirmation executed by the individual who cast the provisional ballot under division (B)(2) of section 3505.181 of the Revised Code. The following information shall be included in the written affirmation in order for the provisional ballot to be eligible to be counted:

(a) The individual's printed name, signature, date of birth, and current address;

(b) A statement that the individual is a registered voter in the precinct in which the provisional ballot is being voted;

(2) In addition to the information required to be included in an affirmation under division (B)(1) of this section, in determining whether a provisional ballot is valid and entitled to be counted, the board also shall examine any additional information for determining ballot validity provided by the provisional voter on the affirmation, provided by the provisional voter to an election official under section 3505.182 of the Revised Code, or provided to the board of elections during the seven days after the day of the election under division (B)(7) of section 3505.181 of the Revised Code, to assist the board in determining the individual's eligibility to vote.

(3) If, in examining a provisional ballot affirmation and additional information under divisions (B)(1) and (2) of this section and comparing the information required under division (B)(1) of this section with the elector's information in the statewide voter registration database, the board determines that all of the following apply, the provisional ballot envelope shall be opened, and the ballot shall be placed in a ballot box to be counted:

(a) The individual named on the affirmation is properly registered to vote.

(b) The individual named on the affirmation is eligible to cast a ballot in the precinct and for the election in which the individual cast the provisional ballot.

(c) The individual provided all of the information required under division (B)(1) of this section in the affirmation that the individual executed at the time the individual cast the provisional ballot.

(d) The last four digits of the elector's social security number or the elector's Ohio driver's license number or state identification card number are not different from the last four digits of the elector's social security number or the elector's Ohio driver's license number or state identification card number contained in the statewide voter registration database.

(e) Except as otherwise provided in this division, the month and day of the elector's date of birth are not different from the day and month of the elector's date of birth contained in the statewide voter registration database.

This division does not apply to an elector's provisional ballot if either of the following is true:

(i) The elector's date of birth contained in the statewide voter registration database is January 1, 1800.

(ii) The board of elections has found, by a vote of at least three of its members, that the elector has met all other requirements of division (B)(3) of this section.

(f) The elector's current address is not different from the elector's address contained in the statewide voter registration database, unless the elector indicated that the elector is casting a provisional ballot because the elector has moved and has not submitted a notice of change of address, as described in division (A)(6) of section 3505.181 of the Revised Code.

(g) If applicable, the individual provided any additional information required under division (B)(7) of section 3505.181 of the Revised Code within seven days after the day of the election.

(4)(a) Except as otherwise provided in division (D) of this section, if, in examining a provisional ballot affirmation and additional information under divisions (B)(1) and (2) of this section and comparing the information required under division (B)(1) of this section with the elector's information in the statewide voter registration database, the board determines that any of the following applies, the provisional ballot envelope shall not be opened, and the ballot shall not be counted:

(i) The individual named on the affirmation is not qualified or is not properly registered to vote.

(ii) The individual named on the affirmation is not eligible to cast a ballot in the precinct or for the election in which the individual cast the provisional ballot.

(iii) The individual did not provide all of the information required under division (B)(1) of this section in the affirmation that the individual executed at the time the individual cast the provisional ballot.

(iv) The individual has already cast a ballot for the election in which the individual cast the provisional ballot.

(v) If applicable, the individual did not provide any additional information required under division (B)(7) of section 3505.181 of the Revised Code within seven days after the day of the election.

(vi) The individual failed to provide ~~a current and valid~~ photo identification, a military identification, a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document, other than a notice of voter registration mailed by a board of elections under section 3503.19 of the Revised Code, with the voter's name and current address, the individual's Ohio driver's license or state identification card number, or the last four digits of the individual's social security number or to execute an affirmation that the individual does not have or cannot provide photo identification because the individual has a religious objection to being photographed, or the individual failed to execute an affirmation under division (B) of section 3505.181 of the Revised Code.

(vii) The last four digits of the elector's social security number or the elector's Ohio driver's license number or state identification card number are different from the last four digits of the elector's social security number or the elector's driver's license number or state identification card number contained in the statewide voter registration database.

(viii) Except as otherwise provided in this division, the month and day of the elector's date of birth are different from the day and month of the elector's date of birth contained in the statewide voter registration database.

This division does not apply to an elector's provisional ballot if either of the following is true:

(I) The elector's date of birth contained in the statewide voter registration database is January 1, 1800.

(II) The board of elections has found, by a vote of at least three of its members, that the elector has met all of the requirements of division (B)(3) of this section, other than the requirements of division (B)(3)(e) of this section.

(ix) The elector's current address is different from the elector's address contained in the statewide voter registration database, unless the elector indicated that the elector is casting a provisional ballot because the elector has moved and has not submitted a notice of change of address, as described in division (A)(6) of section 3505.181 of the Revised Code.

(b) If, in examining a provisional ballot affirmation and additional information under divisions (B)(1) and (2) of this section and comparing the information required under division (B)(1) of this section with the elector's information in the statewide voter registration database, the board is unable to determine either of the following, the provisional ballot envelope shall not be opened, and the ballot shall not be counted:

(i) Whether the individual named on the affirmation is qualified or properly registered to vote;

(ii) Whether the individual named on the affirmation is eligible to cast a ballot in the precinct or for the election in which the individual cast the provisional ballot.

(C) For each provisional ballot rejected under division (B)(4) of this section, the board shall record the name of the provisional voter who cast the ballot, the identification number of the provisional ballot envelope, the names of the election officials who determined the validity of that ballot, the date and time that the determination was made, and the reason that the ballot was not counted, unless the board has already recorded that information in another database.

(D)(1) If an individual cast a provisional ballot in a precinct in which the individual is not registered and eligible to vote, but in the correct polling location for the precinct in which the individual is registered and eligible to vote, and the election official failed to direct the individual to the correct precinct, the individual's ballot shall be remade under division (D)(2) of this section. The election official shall be deemed to have directed the individual to the correct precinct if the election official correctly completed the form described in division (C)(2) of section 3505.181 of the Revised Code.

(2) A board of elections that remakes a provisional ballot under division (D)(1) of this section shall remake the provisional ballot on a ballot for the appropriate precinct to reflect the offices, questions, and issues for which the individual was eligible to cast a ballot and for which the individual attempted to cast a provisional ballot. The remade ballot shall be counted for each office, question, and issue for which the individual was eligible to vote.

(3) If an individual cast a provisional ballot in a precinct in which the individual is not registered and eligible to vote and in the incorrect polling location for the precinct in which the individual is registered and eligible to vote, the provisional ballot envelope shall not be opened, and the ballot shall not be counted.

(E) Provisional ballots that are rejected under division (B)(4) of this section shall not be counted but shall be preserved in their provisional ballot envelopes unopened until the time provided by section 3505.31 of the Revised Code for the destruction of all other ballots used at the election for which ballots were provided, at which time they shall be destroyed.

(F) Provisional ballots that the board determines are eligible to be counted under division (B)(3) or (D) of this section shall be counted in the same manner as provided for other ballots under section 3505.27 of the Revised Code. No provisional ballots shall be counted in a particular county until the board determines the eligibility to be counted of all provisional ballots cast in that county under division (B) of this section for that election. Observers, as provided in section 3505.21 of the Revised Code, may be present at all times that the board is determining the eligibility of provisional ballots to be counted and counting those provisional ballots determined to be eligible. No person shall recklessly disclose the count or any portion of the count of provisional ballots in such a manner as to jeopardize the secrecy of any individual ballot.

(G)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (G)(2) of this section, nothing in this section shall prevent a board of elections from examining provisional ballot affirmations and additional information under divisions (B)(1) and (2) of this section to determine the eligibility of provisional ballots to be counted during the ten days after the day of an election.

(2) A board of elections shall not examine the provisional ballot affirmation and additional information under divisions (B)(1) and (2) of this section of any provisional ballot cast by an individual who must provide additional information to the board of elections under division (B)(7) of section 3505.181 of the Revised Code for the board to determine the individual's eligibility until the individual provides that information or until the eleventh day after the day of the election, whichever is earlier.

Sec. 3506.05. (A) As used in this section:

(1) "Electronic pollbook" means an electronic list of registered voters for a particular precinct or polling location that may be transported to a polling location.

(2) Except when used as part of the phrase "tabulating equipment" or "automatic tabulating equipment," "equipment" means a voting machine, marking device, automatic tabulating equipment, software, or an electronic pollbook.

(3) "Vendor" means the person that owns, manufactures, distributes, or has the legal right to control the use of equipment, or the person's agent.

(4) "Logic and accuracy testing" means systematic testing, before, during, and after elections, of every component of a voting system for each kind of ballot to demonstrate that the ballots are accurate and that votes cast will be tabulated properly.

(B) No voting machine, marking device, automatic tabulating equipment, or software for the purpose of casting or tabulating votes or for communications among systems involved in the tabulation, storage, or casting of votes, and no electronic pollbook, shall be purchased, leased, put in use, or continued to be used, except for experimental use as provided in division (B) of section 3506.04 of the Revised Code, unless it, a manual of procedures governing its use, and training materials, service, and other support arrangements have been certified by the secretary of state and unless the board of elections of each county where the equipment will be used has assured that a demonstration of the use of the equipment has been made available to all interested electors. The secretary of state shall appoint a board of voting machine examiners to examine and approve equipment and its related manuals and support arrangements. The board shall consist of four members, who shall be appointed as follows:

(1) Two members appointed by the secretary of state.;

(2) One member appointed by either the speaker of the house of representatives or the minority leader of the house of representatives, whichever is a member of the opposite political party from the one to which the secretary of state belongs.;

(3) One member appointed by either the president of the senate or the minority leader of the senate, whichever is a member of the opposite political party from the one to which the secretary of state belongs.

In all cases of a tie vote or a disagreement in the board, if no decision can be arrived at, the board shall submit the matter in controversy to the secretary of state, who shall summarily decide the question, and the secretary of state's decision shall be final. Each member of the board shall be a competent and experienced election officer or a person who is knowledgeable about the operation of voting equipment and shall serve during the secretary of state's term. Any vacancy on the board shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. The secretary of state shall provide staffing assistance to the board, at the board's request.

For the member's service, each member of the board shall receive three hundred dollars per day for each combination of marking device, tabulating equipment, voting machine, or electronic pollbook examined and reported, but in no event shall a member receive more than six hundred dollars to examine and report on any one marking device, item of tabulating equipment, voting machine, or electronic pollbook. Each member of the board shall be reimbursed for expenses the member incurs during an examination or during the performance of any related duties that may be required by the secretary of state. Reimbursement of these expenses shall be made in accordance with, and shall not exceed, the rates provided for under section 126.31 of the Revised Code.

Neither the secretary of state nor the board, nor any public officer who participates in the authorization, examination, testing, or purchase of equipment, shall have any pecuniary interest in the equipment or any affiliation with the vendor.

(C)(1) A vendor who desires to have the secretary of state certify equipment shall first submit the equipment, all current related procedural manuals, and a current description of all related support arrangements to the board of voting machine examiners for examination, testing, and approval. The submission shall be accompanied by a fee of two thousand four hundred dollars and a detailed explanation of the construction and method of operation of the equipment, a full statement of its advantages, and a list of the patents and copyrights used in operations essential to the processes of vote recording and tabulating, vote storage, system security, pollbook storage and security, and other crucial operations of the equipment as may be determined by the board. An additional fee, in an amount to be set by rules promulgated by the board, may be imposed to pay for the costs of alternative testing or testing by persons other than board members, record-keeping, and other extraordinary costs incurred in the examination process. Moneys not used shall be returned to the person or entity submitting the equipment for examination.

(2) Fees collected by the secretary of state under this section shall be deposited into the state treasury to the credit of the board of voting machine examiners fund, which is hereby created. All moneys credited to this fund shall be used solely for the purpose of paying for the services and expenses of each member of the board or for other expenses incurred relating to the examination, testing, reporting, or certification of equipment, the performance of any related duties as required by the secretary of state, or the reimbursement of any person submitting an examination fee as provided in this chapter.

(D) Within sixty days after the submission of the equipment and payment of the fee, or as soon thereafter as is reasonably practicable, but in any event within not more than ninety days after the submission and payment, the board of voting machine examiners shall examine the equipment and file with the secretary of state a written report on the equipment with its recommendations and, if applicable, its determination or condition of approval regarding whether the equipment, manual, and other related materials or arrangements meet the criteria set forth in sections 3506.07 and 3506.10 of the Revised Code and can be safely used by the voters at elections under the conditions prescribed in Title XXXV of the Revised Code, or a written statement of reasons for which testing requires a longer period. The board may grant temporary approval for the purpose of allowing experimental use of equipment. If the board finds that the equipment meets any applicable criteria set forth in sections 3506.06, 3506.07, and 3506.10 of the Revised Code, can be used safely and, if applicable, can be depended upon to record and count accurately and continuously the votes of electors, and has the capacity to be warranted, maintained, and serviced, it shall approve the equipment and recommend that the secretary of state certify the equipment. The secretary of state shall notify all boards of elections of any such certification. Equipment of the same model and make, if it operates in an identical manner, may then be adopted for use at elections.

(E) The vendor shall notify the secretary of state, who shall then notify the board of voting machine examiners, of any enhancement and any significant adjustment to the hardware or software that could result in a patent or copyright change or that significantly alters the methods of recording voter intent, system security, voter privacy, retention of the vote, communication of records, and connections between the system and other systems. The vendor shall provide the secretary of state with an updated operations manual for the equipment, and the secretary of state shall forward the manual to the board. Upon receiving such a notification and manual, the board may require the vendor to submit the equipment to an examination and test in order for the equipment to remain certified. The board or the secretary of state shall periodically examine, test, and inspect certified equipment to determine continued compliance with the requirements of this chapter and the initial certification. Any examination, test, or inspection conducted for the purpose of continuing certification of any equipment in which a significant problem has been uncovered or in which a record of continuing problems exists shall be performed pursuant to divisions (C) and (D) of this section, in the same manner as the examination, test, or inspection is performed for initial approval and certification.

(F) If, at any time after the certification of equipment, the board of voting machine examiners or the secretary of state is notified by a board of elections of any significant problem with the equipment or determines that the equipment fails to meet the requirements necessary for approval or continued compliance with the requirements of this chapter, or if the board of voting machine examiners determines that there are significant enhancements or adjustments to the hardware or software, or if notice of such enhancements or adjustments has not been given as required by division (E) of this section, the secretary of state shall notify the users and vendors of that equipment that certification of the equipment may be withdrawn.

(G)(1) The notice given by the secretary of state under division (F) of this section shall be in writing and shall specify both of the following:

(a) The reasons why the certification may be withdrawn;

(b) The date on which certification will be withdrawn unless the vendor takes satisfactory corrective measures or explains why there are no problems with the equipment or why the enhancements or adjustments to the equipment are not significant.

(2) A vendor who receives a notice under division (F) of this section shall, within thirty days after receiving it, submit to the board of voting machine examiners in writing a description of the corrective measures taken and the date on which they were taken, or the explanation required under division (G)(1)(b) of this section.

(3) Not later than fifteen days after receiving a written description or explanation under division (G)(2) of this section from a vendor, the board shall determine whether the corrective measures taken or the explanation is satisfactory to allow continued certification of the equipment, and the secretary of state shall send the vendor a written notice of the board's determination, specifying the reasons for it. If the board has determined that the measures taken or the explanation given is unsatisfactory, the notice shall include the effective date of withdrawal of the certification. This date may be different from the date originally specified in division (G)(1)(b) of this section.

(4) A vendor who receives a notice under division (G)(3) of this section indicating a decision to withdraw certification may, within thirty days after receiving it, request in writing that the board hold a hearing to reconsider its decision. Any interested party shall be given the opportunity to submit testimony or documentation in support of or in opposition to the board's recommendation to withdraw certification. Failure of the vendor to take appropriate steps as described in division (G)(1)(b) or to comply with division (G)(2) of this section results in a waiver of the vendor's rights under division (G)(4) of this section.

(H)(1) The secretary of state, in consultation with the board of voting machine examiners, shall establish, by rule, guidelines for the approval, certification, and continued certification of the voting machines, marking devices, tabulating equipment, and electronic pollbooks to be used under Title XXXV of the Revised Code. The guidelines shall establish procedures requiring vendors or computer software developers to place in escrow with an independent escrow agent approved by the secretary of state a copy of all object code and source code and related documentation, together with periodic updates as they become known or available. Both codes shall be made available for public inspection and testing, but not for copying or reuse. The secretary of state shall require that the documentation include a system configuration and that the object code and source code include all relevant program statements in low- or high-level languages. No nondisclosure agreement entered into after the effective date of this amendment shall prohibit the statements from being made available for public inspection. As used in this division, "source code" does not include variable codes created for specific elections. The guidelines also shall ensure all logic and accuracy testing is undeviating and uniform for each kind of ballot, and that all testing results are reported to the secretary of state.

(2) Nothing in any rule adopted under division (H) of this section shall be construed to limit the ability of the secretary of state to follow or adopt, or to preclude the secretary of state from following or adopting, any guidelines proposed by the federal election commission, any entity authorized by the federal election commission to propose guidelines, the election assistance commission, or any entity authorized by the election assistance commission to propose guidelines.

(3)(a) Before the initial certification of any direct recording electronic voting machine with a voter verified paper audit trail, and as a condition for the continued certification and use of those machines, the secretary of state shall establish, by rule, standards for the certification of those machines. Those standards shall include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

(i) A definition of a voter verified paper audit trail as a paper record of the voter's choices that is verified by the voter prior to the casting of the voter's ballot and that is securely retained by the board of elections;

(ii) Requirements that the voter verified paper audit trail shall not be retained by any voter and shall not contain individual voter information;

(iii) A prohibition against the production by any direct recording electronic voting machine of anything that legally could be removed by the voter from the polling place, such as a receipt or voter confirmation;

(iv) A requirement that paper used in producing a voter verified paper audit trail be sturdy, clean, and resistant to degradation;

(v) A requirement that the voter verified paper audit trail shall be capable of being optically scanned for the purpose of conducting a recount or other audit of the voting machine and shall be readable in a manner that makes the voter's ballot choices obvious to the voter without the use of computer or electronic codes;

(vi) A requirement, for office-type ballots, that the voter verified paper audit trail include the name of each candidate selected by the voter;

(vii) A requirement, for questions and issues ballots, that the voter verified paper audit trail include the title of the question or issue, the name of the entity that placed the question or issue on the ballot, and the voter's ballot selection on that question or issue, but not the entire text of the question or issue.

(b) The secretary of state, by rule adopted under Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, may waive the requirement under division (H)(3)(a)(v) of this section, if the secretary of state determines that the requirement is cost prohibitive.

(4)(a) Except as otherwise provided in divisions (H)(4)(b) and (c) of this section, any voting machine, marking device, or automatic tabulating equipment used in this state shall meet, as a condition of continued certification and use, the voting system standards adopted by the federal election commission in 2002 or the voluntary voting system guidelines most recently adopted by the federal election assistance commission. A voting machine, marking device, or automatic tabulating equipment initially certified or acquired on or after December 1, 2008, also shall have the most recent federal certification number issued by the election assistance commission.

(b) Division (H)(4)(a) of this section does not apply to any voting machine, marking device, or automatic tabulating equipment that the federal election assistance commission does not certify as part of its testing and certification program.

(c) A county that acquires additional voting machines, marking devices, or automatic tabulating equipment on or after December 1, 2008, shall not be considered to have acquired those machines, devices, or equipment on or after December 1, 2008, for the purpose of division (H)(4)(a) of this section if all of the following apply:

(i) The voting machines, marking devices, or automatic tabulating equipment acquired are the same as the machines, devices, or equipment currently used in that county.

(ii) The acquisition of the voting machines, marking devices, or automatic tabulating equipment does not replace or change the primary voting system used in that county.

(iii) The acquisition of the voting machines, marking devices, or automatic tabulating equipment is for the purpose of replacing inoperable machines, devices, or equipment or for the purpose of providing additional machines, devices, or equipment required to meet the allocation requirements established pursuant to division (I) of section 3501.11 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3506.07. No automatic tabulating equipment shall be approved by the board of voting machine examiners or certified by the secretary of state, or be purchased, rented, or otherwise acquired, or used, unless it has been or is capable of being manufactured for use and distribution beyond a prototype and can be set by election officials, to examine ballots and to count votes accurately for each candidate, question, and issue, excluding any ballots marked contrary to the instructions printed on such ballots, provided that such equipment shall not be required to count write-in votes or the votes on any ballots that have been voted other than at the regular polling place on election day.

All automatic tabulating equipment shall print a date and time stamp on every ballot upon scanning in order to prevent repeat scanning of the same ballot.

Sec. 3506.10. No voting machine shall be approved by the board of voting machine examiners or certified by the secretary of state, or be purchased, rented, or otherwise acquired, or used, except when specifically allowed for experimental use, as provided in section 3506.04 of the Revised Code, unless it fulfills the following requirements:

(A) It shall permit and require voting in absolute secrecy, and shall be so constructed that no person can see or know for whom any other elector has voted or is voting, except an elector who is assisting a voter as prescribed by section 3505.24 of the Revised Code.

(B) It shall permit each elector to vote at any election for all persons and offices for whom and for which the elector is lawfully entitled to vote, whether or not the name of any such person appears on a ballot label as a candidate; to vote for as many persons for an office as the elector is entitled to vote for; and to vote for or against any question upon which the elector is entitled to vote.

(C) It shall preclude each elector from voting for any candidate or upon any question for whom or upon which the elector is not entitled to vote, from voting for more persons for any office than the elector is entitled to vote for, and from voting for any candidates for the same office or upon any question more than once.

(D) It shall permit each voter to deposit, write in, or affix, upon devices provided for that purpose, ballots containing the names of persons for whom the voter desires to vote, whose names do not appear upon the voting machine. Those devices shall be susceptible of identification as to party affiliations when used at a primary election.

(E) It shall permit each elector to change the elector's vote for any candidate or upon any question appearing upon the ballot labels, up to the time the elector starts to register the elector's vote.

(F) It shall permit each elector, at all presidential elections, by one device to vote for candidates of one party for president, vice-president, and presidential electors.

(G) It shall be capable of adjustment by election officers so as to permit each elector, at a primary election, to vote only for the candidates of the party with which the elector has declared the elector's affiliation and shall preclude the elector from voting for any candidate seeking nomination by any other political party; and to vote for the candidates for nonpartisan nomination or election.

(H) It shall have separate voting devices for candidates and questions, which shall be arranged in separate rows or columns. It shall be so arranged that one or more adjacent rows or columns may be assigned to the candidates of each political party at primary elections.

(I) It shall have a counter, or other device, the register of which is visible from the outside of the machine, and which will show at any time during the voting the total number of electors who have voted; and also a protective counter, or other device, the register of which cannot be reset, which will record the cumulative total number of movements of the internal counters.

(J) It shall be provided with locks and seals by the use of which, immediately after the polls are closed or the operation of the machine for an election is completed, no further changes to the internal counters can be allowed.

(K) It shall have the capacity to contain the names of candidates constituting the tickets of at least five political parties, and independent groups and such number of questions not exceeding fifteen as the secretary of state shall specify.

(L) It shall be durably constructed of material of good quality in a neat and workerlike manner, and in form that shall make it safely transportable.

(M) It shall be so constructed that a voter may readily learn the method of operating it, may expeditiously cast a vote for all candidates of the voter's choice, and when operated properly shall register and record correctly and accurately every vote cast.

(N) It shall be provided with a screen, hood, or curtain, which will conceal the voter while voting. During the voting, it shall preclude every person from seeing or knowing the number of votes registered for any candidate or question and from tampering with any of the internal counters.

(O) It shall not provide to a voter any type of receipt or voter confirmation that the voter legally may retain after leaving the polling place.

(P) On and after the first federal election that occurs after January 1, 2006, unless required sooner by the Help America Vote Act of 2002, if the voting machine is a direct recording electronic voting machine, it shall include a voter verified paper audit trail.

(Q) It shall be manufactured in the United States, and any software or hardware shall be developed in the United States, and neither shall be produced or developed by, or associated with, foreign-owned corporations.

(R) It shall permit both its software object code and source code on all electronic equipment to be available for public inspection, but not for copying or reuse.

(S) On and after January 1, 2023, all electronic equipment shall utilize blockchain technology, in addition to paper ballots and independent of any internet connection, to create an unalterable electronic record of votes cast, which shall employ software whose object codes and source codes are available for public inspection, but not for copying or reuse. Such equipment shall not be capable of connecting to the internet.

Before any voting machine is purchased, rented, or otherwise acquired, or used, the person or corporation owning or manufacturing that machine or having the legal right to control the use of that machine shall give an adequate guarantee in writing and post a bond in an amount sufficient to cover the cost of any recount or new election resulting from or directly related to the use or malfunction of the equipment, accompanied by satisfactory surety, all as determined by the secretary of state, with the board of county commissioners, guaranteeing and securing that those machines have been and continue to be certified by the secretary of state in accordance with section 3506.05 of the Revised Code, comply fully with the requirements of this section, and will correctly, accurately, and continuously register and record every vote cast, and further guaranteeing those machines against defects in workership and materials for a period of five years from the date of their acquisition.

Sec. 3506.14. (A) ~~Prior to~~ Before, during, and after each election, the board of elections shall conduct systematic logic and accuracy testing of every component of every voting machine, marking device, or piece of automatic tabulating equipment for each kind of ballot to be used in the election to demonstrate that the ballots are accurate and that votes cast will be tabulated properly, and shall test and audit the variable codes applicable to that election to verify the accuracy of any computer program that will be used for tallying the ballot cards for each precinct in which an election will be held. The board of elections shall report all results to the secretary of state. The computer programs, including software object code and source code, and any program implementing blockchain technology, shall be made available for public inspection immediately upon installation of the machine or equipment implementing the software or program.

(B) Prior to the start of the count of the ballots, the board of elections shall have the voting machine or automatic tabulating equipment tested to ascertain that it will accurately count the votes cast for all offices and on all questions and issues. Public notice of the time and place of the test shall be given by proclamation or posting as in the case of notice of elections. The test shall be conducted by processing a pre-audited group of ballots so marked as to record a predetermined number of valid votes for each candidate and on each question and issue, and shall include for each office one or more ballots that have votes in excess of the number allowed by law in order to test the ability of the automatic tabulating equipment to reject those votes. In that test a different number of valid votes shall be assigned to each candidate for an office, and for and against each question and issue. If an error is detected, the cause for the error shall be ascertained and corrected and an errorless count shall be made and certified to by the board before the count is started. The tabulating equipment shall pass the same test at the beginning and conclusion of the election day count before the election returns are approved as official. On completion of the election day count, the programs, test materials, and ballots shall be sealed and retained as provided for paper ballots in section 3505.31 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3506.17. All formatting or coding of voting machines, marking devices, automatic tabulating equipment, software, electronic pollbooks, or ballots shall be done by a bipartisan team of election officials in the county.

Sec. 3506.21. (A) As used in this section, "optical scan ballot" means a ballot that is marked by using a specified writing instrument to fill in a designated position to record a voter's candidate, question, or issue choice and that can be scanned and electronically read in order to tabulate the vote.

(B)(1) In addition to marks that can be scanned and electronically read by automatic tabulating equipment, any of the following marks, if a majority of those marks are made in a consistent manner throughout an optical scan ballot, shall be counted as a valid vote:

(a) A candidate, question, or issue choice that has been circled by the voter;

(b) An oval beside the candidate, question, or issue choice that has been circled by the voter;

(c) An oval beside the candidate, question, or issue choice that has been marked by the voter with an "x," a check mark, or other recognizable mark;

(d) A candidate, question, or issue choice that has been marked with a writing instrument that cannot be recognized by automatic tabulating equipment.

(2) Marks made on an optical scan ballot in accordance with division (B)(1) of this section shall be counted as valid votes only if that optical scan ballot contains no marks that can be scanned and electronically read by automatic tabulating equipment.

(3) If automatic tabulating equipment detects that more marks were made on an optical scan ballot for a particular office, question, or issue than the number of selections that a voter is allowed by law to make for that office, question, or issue, the voter's ballot shall be invalidated for that office, question, or issue. The ballot shall not be invalidated for any other office, question, or issue for which the automatic tabulating equipment detects a vote to have been cast, in accordance with the law.

(C) The secretary of state may adopt rules under Chapter 119. of the Revised Code to authorize additional types of optical scan ballots and to specify the types of marks on those ballots that shall be counted as a valid vote to ensure consistency in the counting of ballots throughout the state. The rules shall clearly identify the different types of markings commonly found on errant in-person ballots and provide clear, acceptable means of interpretation.

(D)(1) A board of elections of a county that uses optical scan ballots and automatic tabulating equipment as the primary voting system for the county shall not tabulate the unofficial results of optical scan ballots voted on election day at a central location.

(2) A board of elections that provides for the tabulation at each precinct of voted ballots, and then, at a central location, combines those precinct ballot totals with ballot totals from other precincts, including optical scan ballots voted by absent voters, shall not be considered to be tabulating the unofficial results of optical scan ballots at a central location for the purpose of division (D)(1) of this section.

Sec. 3506.23. A All electronic equipment consisting of: electronic registration systems, electronic poll books, electronic automated tabulating equipment, electronic high-speed scanners, electronic voting ~~machine~~ machines, electronic software, electronic marking devices, and any other electronic equipment used in any phase of voting shall not be connected to the internet. Vendors, in their equipment manuals and application materials for certification, are required to show proof that their systems cannot be connected to the internet. Failure to so demonstrate shall result in a denial of certification.

Sec. 3509.01. (A) The board of elections of each county shall provide absent voter's ballots for use at every primary and general election, or special election to be held on the day specified by division (E) of section 3501.01 of the Revised Code for the holding of a primary election, designated by the general assembly for the purpose of submitting constitutional amendments proposed by the general assembly to the voters of the state. Those ballots shall be the same size, shall be printed on the same kind of paper, and shall be in the same form as has been approved for use at the election for which those ballots are to be voted; except that, in counties using marking devices, ballot cards may be used for absent voter's ballots, and those absent voters shall be instructed to record the vote in the manner provided on the ballot cards.

(B) The rotation of names of candidates and questions and issues shall be substantially complied with on absent voter's ballots, within the limitation of time allotted. Those ballots shall be designated as "Absent Voter's Ballots." Except as otherwise provided in division (D) of this section, those ballots shall be printed and ready for use as follows:

(1) For overseas voters and absent uniformed services voters eligible to vote under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, Pub. L. No. 99-410, 100 Stat. 924, 42 U.S.C. 1973ff, et seq., as amended, ballots shall be printed and ready for use other than in person on the forty-sixth day before the day of the election.

(2) For all other voters, ~~other than overseas voters and absent uniformed services voters, who are applying to vote absent voter's ballots other than in person,~~ ballots shall be printed and ready for use on the first day after the close of voter registration before the election.

(3) For all voters who are applying to vote absent voter's ballots in person, ballots shall be printed and ready for use beginning on the first day after the close of voter registration before the election.

If, at the time for the close of in-person absent voting on a particular day, there are voters waiting in line to cast their ballots, the in-person absent voting location shall be kept open until such waiting voters have cast their absent voter's ballots.

(C) Absent voter's ballots provided for use at a general or primary election, or special election to be held on the day specified by division (E) of section 3501.01 of the Revised Code for the holding of a primary election, designated by the general assembly for the purpose of submitting constitutional amendments proposed by the general assembly to the voters of the state, shall include only those questions, issues, and candidacies that have been lawfully ordered submitted to the electors voting at that election.

(D) If the laws governing the holding of a special election on a day other than the day on which a primary or general election is held make it impossible for absent voter's ballots to be printed and ready for use by the deadlines established in division (B) of this section, absent voter's ballots for those special elections shall be ready for use as many days before the day of the election as reasonably possible under the laws governing the holding of that special election.

(E) A copy of the absent voter's ballots shall be forwarded by the director of the board in each county to the secretary of state at least twenty-five days before the election.

Sec. 3509.02. (A) Any qualified elector to whom any of the following applies may ~~vote by~~ cast absent voter's ballots by mail at an election:

(1) The elector has a physical disability, illness, or infirmity that prevents the elector from casting an absent voter's ballot in person or voting on the day of an election.

(2) The elector will be absent from the county in which the elector's voting residence is located during the time an elector may cast an absent voter's ballot in person or on the day of an election.

(3) The elector is confined in a jail or workhouse under sentence for a misdemeanor or is awaiting trial on a felony or misdemeanor charge during the time an elector may cast an absent voter's ballot in person or on the day of an election.

(4) The elector has a confidential voter registration record, as described in section 111.44 of the Revised Code.

(B) Any qualified elector who is unable to appear at the office of the board of elections or, if pursuant to division (C) of section 3501.10 of the Revised Code the board has designated another location in the county at which registered electors may vote, at that other location on account of personal illness, physical disability, or infirmity, and who moves from one precinct to another within a county, changes the elector's name and moves from one precinct to another within a county, or moves from one county to another county within the state, on or prior to the day of a general, primary, or special election and has not filed a notice of change of residence or change of name may ~~vote by~~ cast absent voter's ballots by mail in that election as specified in division (G) of section 3503.16 of the Revised Code.

(C) Any qualified elector may cast absent voter's ballots at an election in person at the office of the board of elections, as described in section 3509.051 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3509.03. (A)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (A)(2) and (B) of this section and division (B) of section 3509.08 of the Revised Code, any qualified elector desiring to ~~vote~~ receive absent voter's ballots at for an election by mail shall ~~make written~~ complete the application prescribed by the secretary of state for those ballots to the ~~director~~ board of elections of the county in which the elector's voting residence is located. The application prescribed by the secretary of state shall be the only accepted application for absent voter's ballots. The secretary of state or a board of elections shall not accept any other application for absent voter's ballots.

(2) The secretary of state and board of elections shall accept a federal post card application in accordance with section 3511.02 of the Revised Code.

(B) Except as otherwise provided in division (C) and (D) of this section, ~~the~~an elector that wishes to make the elector's own application ~~need not be in any particular form but shall contain~~ that is not on any provided form may do so, and have it accepted by the secretary of state or board of elections, so long as the application contains all of the following:

(1) The elector's name;

(2) The elector's signature;

(3) The address at which the elector is registered to vote;

(4) The elector's date of birth;

(5) ~~One of the following:~~

(a) The elector's photo identification or a United States passport that is not expired, if the elector will be marking absent voter's ballots in person at the office of the board of elections;

(b) If the elector will not be marking the ballots in person, all of the following:

(i) The elector's Ohio driver's license or state identification card number and the expiration date of the driver's license or state identification card;

~~(b)~~ (ii) The last four digits of the elector's social security number;

~~(c)~~ (iii) A copy of the front and back of an elector's ~~current and valid~~ photo identification, a copy of a military identification, or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document, other than a notice of voter registration mailed by a ~~board of elections under section 3503.19 of the Revised Code, that shows the name and address of the elector~~.

(6) A statement identifying the election for which absent voter's ballots are requested;

(7) A statement that the person requesting the ballots is a qualified elector;

(8) If the request is for primary election ballots, the elector's party affiliation;

(9) If the elector desires ballots to be mailed to the elector, the address to which those ballots shall be mailed;

(10) The reason, as permitted under division (A) of section 3509.02 of the Revised Code, that the elector qualifies to cast absent voter's ballots by mail.

(C) If the elector has a confidential voter registration record, as described in section 111.44 of the Revised Code, the elector may provide the elector's program participant identification number instead of the address at which the elector is registered to vote.

(D) Each application for absent voter's ballots shall be delivered to the ~~director~~ office of the board not earlier than the first day of January of the year of the elections for which the absent voter's ballots are requested or not earlier than ninety days before the day of the election at which the ballots are to be voted, whichever is earlier, and not later than twelve noon of the third day before the day of the election at which the ballots are to be voted, or not later than six p.m. on the last Friday before the day of the election at which the ballots are to be voted if the application is delivered in person to the office of the board.

(E) A board of elections that mails an absent voter's ballot application to an elector under this section shall not prepay the return postage for that application.

(F) Except as otherwise provided in this section and in sections 3505.24 and 3509.08 of the Revised Code, an election official shall not fill out any portion of an application for absent voter's ballots on behalf of an applicant. The secretary of state or a board of elections ~~may~~ shall not preprint ~~only~~ an applicant's name ~~and~~, address, or any other personal information specific to the applicant on an application for absent voter's ballots before mailing that application to the applicant~~, except that if the applicant has a confidential voter registration record, the secretary of state or a board of elections shall not preprint the applicant's address on the application~~.

Sec. 3509.031. (A) The secretary of state, any board of elections, any public office, or any public official or employee who is acting in an official or unofficial capacity is prohibited from mailing unsolicited applications for absent voter's ballots to any individual or group for any election.

(B) The secretary of state, any board of elections, any public office, or any public official or employee acting in an official or unofficial capacity is prohibited from mailing or otherwise providing unsolicited absent voter's ballots to any individual or group for any election.

(C) A political party, nongovernmental person or entity, corporate entity, individual, or private organization is prohibited from mailing or otherwise providing unsolicited absent voter's ballots to any individual or group for any election.

Sec. 3509.04. (A) If a ~~director of a~~ board of elections receives an application for absent voter's ballots under section 3503.16, 3509.03, or 3509.08 of the Revised Code that does not contain all of the required information, the ~~director~~ board promptly shall notify the applicant in writing of the additional information required to be provided by the applicant to complete that application.

(B) ~~Upon~~ Except as otherwise provided in section 3509.08 of the Revised Code, upon receipt by the ~~director~~ board of elections of an application for absent voter's ballots under section 3503.16, 3509.03, or 3509.08 of the Revised Code that contains all of the required information, ~~as provided by section 3509.03 and division (G) of section 3503.16 of the Revised Code,~~ the ~~director~~ board, if the ~~director~~ board finds that the applicant is a qualified elector, shall ~~deliver to the applicant in person or~~ mail directly to the applicant by special delivery mail, air mail, or regular mail, postage prepaid, proper absent voter's ballots. The ~~director~~ board shall ~~deliver or~~ mail with the ballots an unsealed identification envelope upon the face of which shall be printed a form substantially as follows:

"Identification Envelope Statement of Voter

I, ________________________(Name of voter), declare under penalty of election falsification that the within ballot or ballots contained no voting marks of any kind when I received them, and I caused the ballot or ballots to be marked, enclosed in the identification envelope, and sealed in that envelope.

My voting residence in Ohio is

________________________________________________________________

(Street and Number, if any, or Rural Route and Number)

of ________________________________ (City, Village, or Township) Ohio, which is in Ward _____________ Precinct ________________ in that city, village, or township.

If I have a confidential voter registration record, I am providing my program participant identification number instead of my residence address: ________________________

The primary election ballots, if any, within this envelope are primary election ballots of the _____________ Party.

Ballots contained within this envelope are to be voted at the __________ (general, special, or primary) election to be held on the __________________________ day of ______________________, ____.

My date of birth is _______________ (Month and Day), __________ (Year).

~~(Voter must provide~~

______ If I am marking these ballots in person at the office of the board of elections, I have provided photo identification or a United States passport that is not expired to the election officials.

______ If I am marking these ballots other than in person, I have provided ~~one~~ all of the following:)

My Ohio driver's license or state identification card number is _______________ (Driver's license or state identification card number) and the expiration date is ______________(expiration date of the driver's license or state identification card).

The last four digits of my Social Security Number are _______________ (Last four digits of Social Security Number).

______ ~~In lieu of providing a driver's license number or the last four digits of my Social Security Number, I am enclosing a~~ A copy of ~~one of the following~~ the front and back of a photo identification in the return envelope in which this identification envelope will be mailed: a current and valid photo identification, a military identification, or a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document, other than a notice of voter registration mailed by a board of elections, that shows my name and address.

I hereby declare, under penalty of election falsification, that the statements above are true, as I verily believe.

_________________________

(Signature of Voter)

WHOEVER COMMITS ELECTION FALSIFICATION IS GUILTY OF A FELONY OF THE FIFTH DEGREE."

The ~~director~~ board shall mail with the ballots and the unsealed identification envelope an unsealed return envelope upon the face of which shall be printed the official title and post-office address of the ~~director~~ board. In the upper left corner on the face of the return envelope, several blank lines shall be printed upon which the voter may write the voter's name and return address. The return envelope shall be of such size that the identification envelope can be conveniently placed within it for returning the identification envelope to the ~~director~~ board.

A board of elections that mails or otherwise delivers absent voter's ballots to an elector under this section shall not prepay the return postage for those ballots.

Except as otherwise provided in this section and in sections 3505.24 and 3509.08 of the Revised Code, an election official shall not fill out any portion of an identification envelope statement of voter or an absent voter's ballot on behalf of an elector. A board of elections ~~may~~ shall not preprint ~~only~~ an elector's name ~~and~~, address, or any other personal information specific to the elector on an identification envelope statement of voter before mailing absent voter's ballots to the elector, except that if the elector has a confidential voter registration record, as described in section 111.44 of the Revised Code, the board of elections shall not preprint the elector's address on the identification envelope statement of voter.

Sec. 3509.05. (A) When an elector receives an absent voter's ballot pursuant to the elector's application or request, the elector shall, before placing any marks on the ballot, note whether there are any voting marks on it. If there are any voting marks, the ballot shall be returned immediately to the board of elections; otherwise, the elector shall cause the ballot to be marked, folded in a manner that the stub on it and the indorsements and facsimile signatures of the members of the board of elections on the back of it are visible, and placed and sealed within the identification envelope received from the director of elections for that purpose. Then, the elector shall cause the statement of voter on the outside of the identification envelope to be completed and signed, under penalty of election falsification.

If the elector ~~does not~~ is marking the absent voter's ballots in person at the board of elections, the elector shall provide photo identification or a United States passport that is not expired to the election officials, or the elector may execute an affirmation under division (A)(2) of section 3505.18 of the Revised Code stating that the elector has a religious objection to being photographed and cast a provisional ballot under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code. If the elector is not marking the absent voter's ballots in person, the elector shall provide the elector's unexpired Ohio driver's license or state identification card number or , along with the expiration date of the Ohio's driver's license or state identification card, and the last four digits of the elector's social security number on the statement of voter on the identification envelope~~, the elector also~~ and shall include in the return envelope with the identification envelope a copy of the front and back of the elector's ~~current valid~~ photo identification, a copy of a military identification, or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document, other than a notice of voter registration mailed by a board of elections under section 3503.19 of the Revised Code, that shows the name and address of the elector.

The elector shall mail the identification envelope to the director from whom it was received in the return envelope, postage prepaid, or the elector may personally deliver it to the director, or the spouse of the elector, the father, mother, father-in-law, mother-in-law, grandfather, grandmother, brother, or sister of the whole or half blood, or the son, daughter, adopting parent, adopted child, stepparent, stepchild, uncle, aunt, nephew, or niece of the elector may deliver it to the director. The return envelope shall be transmitted to the director in no other manner, except as provided in section 3509.08 of the Revised Code.

An absent voter's ballot returned in person shall be returned directly to officials or employees of the secretary of state or a board of elections. Upon returning a completed absent voter's ballot, the person returning the person's completed absent voter's ballot shall show the person's photo identification to the officials or employees accepting the ballot. If a person is returning a completed absent voter's ballot on behalf of another person, that person shall also show that person's photo identification and a copy of the front and back of the photo identification for the person for whom the completed absent voter's ballot is being returned.

A person shall not return more than three completed absent voter's ballots for an election. The secretary of state and board of elections shall maintain a database of the names of any person that returns a completed absent voter's ballot and include the date that the person returned any ballots, the number of ballots returned, and any other necessary information.

When absent voter's ballots are delivered to an elector at the office of the board, the elector may retire to a voting compartment provided by the board and there mark the ballots. Thereupon, the elector shall fold them, place them in the identification envelope provided, seal the envelope, fill in and sign the statement on the envelope under penalty of election falsification, and deliver the envelope to the director of the board.

Except as otherwise provided in division (B) of this section, all other envelopes containing marked absent voter's ballots shall be delivered to the director not later than the close of the polls on the day of an election. Absent voter's ballots delivered to the director later than the times specified shall not be counted, but shall be kept by the board in the sealed identification envelopes in which they are delivered to the director, until the time provided by section 3505.31 of the Revised Code for the destruction of all other ballots used at the election for which ballots were provided, at which time they shall be destroyed.

(B)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (B)(2) of this section, any return envelope that is postmarked prior to the day of the election shall be delivered to the director prior to the eleventh day after the election. Ballots delivered in envelopes postmarked prior to the day of the election that are received after the close of the polls on election day through the tenth day thereafter shall be counted on the eleventh day at the board of elections in the manner provided in divisions (C) and (D) of section 3509.06 of the Revised Code or in the manner provided in division (E) of that section, as applicable. Any such ballots that are received by the director later than the tenth day following the election shall not be counted, but shall be kept by the board in the sealed identification envelopes as provided in division (A) of this section.

(2) Division (B)(1) of this section shall not apply to any mail that is postmarked using a postage evidencing system, including a postage meter, as defined in 39 C.F.R. 501.1.

Sec. 3509.051. ~~Notwithstanding section 3509.05 or any other provision of the Revised Code to the contrary, all of the following shall apply to the casting of~~ (A) Any qualified elector may cast absent voter's ballots in person:

~~(A) The~~ at the office of the board of electors in accordance with this section.

(B)(1) For an election that occurs before January 1, 2023, an elector may cast absent voter's ballots in person during the period beginning the fourteenth day before the day of an election and ending on the Sunday before the day of an election.

(2) For an election that occurs after January 1, 2023, an elector may cast absent voter's ballots in person during the period beginning the seventh day before the day of an election and ending on the Sunday before the day of an election.

(3) If, at the time for the close of in-person absent voting on a particular day, there are voters waiting in line to cast their ballots, the office of the board shall be kept open until such waiting voters have cast their absent voter's ballots.

(C) The absent voter shall provide identification to the election officials, sign a poll list or signature pollbook, and cast a ballot in the same manner as ~~one of the following:~~

~~(1) As~~ a voter who casts a ballot in person on the day of an election ~~is required to provide identification~~ under section 3505.18 of the Revised Code~~; or~~

~~(2) As a voter who casts an absent voter's ballot is required to submit a completed written application for an absent voter's ballot under section 3509.03 of the Revised Code~~.

~~(B)~~ (D) The absent voter shall not be required to complete a written application for absent voter's ballots or a statement of voter on an absent voter's ballot identification envelope.

~~(C) The board of elections shall provide a signature book to be signed by absent voters who are casting their ballots in person.~~

~~(D)~~ (E) No person other than an election official shall be permitted to challenge the right to vote of an absent voter who is casting a ballot in person. An election official may challenge the right to vote of an absent voter who is casting a ballot in person in the same manner as a precinct election official may challenge the right to vote of an elector on the day of an election under section 3505.20 or 3513.19 of the Revised Code.

~~(E)~~ (F) An individual who appears to cast absent voter's ballots in person and is eligible to cast a provisional ballot under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code shall be permitted to do so as though the individual had appeared at a polling place on the day of the election.

(G) No absent voter may receive a replacement ballot after the voter's absent voter's ballot has been scanned or entered into automatic tabulating equipment.

(H) Ballots cast under this section, other than provisional ballots, may be recorded by a voting machine or scanned by automatic tabulating equipment before the close of the polls on the day of the election, but the board of elections shall not tabulate or count the votes on those ballots before that time.

Sec. 3509.06. (A) The board of elections shall determine whether absent voter's ballots cast under section 3503.16, 3509.05, 3509.08, or 3511.09 of the Revised Code shall be processed and counted in each precinct, at the office of the board, or at some other location designated by the board, and shall proceed accordingly under division (B), (C), or (E) of this section, as applicable.

(B)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (B)(2) of this section, when the board of elections determines that those absent voter's ballots shall be processed and counted in each precinct, the ~~director~~ board shall deliver to the voting location manager of each precinct on election day identification envelopes purporting to contain absent voter's ballots of electors whose voting residence appears from the statement of voter on the outside of each of those envelopes, to be located in that manager's precinct, and which were received by the ~~director~~ board not later than the close of the polls on election day. The ~~director~~ board shall deliver to the voting location manager a list containing the name and voting residence of each person whose voting residence is in such precinct to whom absent voter's ballots were mailed.

(2) The ~~director~~ board shall not deliver to the voting location manager identification envelopes cast by electors who provided a program participant identification number instead of a residence address on the identification envelope and shall not inform the voting location manager of the names and voting residences of persons who have confidential voter registration records. Those identification envelopes shall be examined and processed as described in division (E) of this section.

(C) When the board of elections determines that those absent voter's ballots shall be processed and counted at the office of the board of elections or at another location designated by the board, special election officials shall be appointed by the board for that purpose having the same authority as is exercised by precinct election officials. The votes so cast shall be added to the vote totals by the board, and the absent voter's ballots shall be preserved separately by the board, in the same manner and for the same length of time as provided by section 3505.31 of the Revised Code.

(D) Each of the identification envelopes purporting to contain absent voter's ballots delivered to the voting location manager of the precinct or the special election official appointed by the board of elections shall be handled as follows:

(1) The election officials shall compare the signature of the elector on the outside of the identification envelope with the signature of that elector on the elector's registration form and verify that the absent voter's ballot is eligible to be counted under section 3509.07 of the Revised Code.

(2)(a) Any of the precinct officials may challenge the right of the elector named on the identification envelope to vote the absent voter's ballots upon the ground that the signature on the envelope is not the same as the signature on the registration form, that the identification envelope statement of voter is incomplete, or upon any other of the grounds upon which the right of persons to vote may be lawfully challenged.

(b) If the elector's name does not appear in the pollbook or poll list or signature pollbook, the precinct officials shall deliver the absent voter's ballots to the director of the board of elections to be examined and processed in the manner described in division (E) of this section.

(3)(a) An identification envelope statement of voter shall be considered incomplete if it does not include all of the following:

(i) The voter's name;

(ii) The voter's residence address or, if the voter has a confidential voter registration record, as described in section 111.44 of the Revised Code, the voter's program participant identification number;

(iii) The voter's date of birth. The requirements of this division are satisfied if the voter provided a date of birth and any of the following is true:

(I) The month and day of the voter's date of birth on the identification envelope statement of voter are not different from the month and day of the voter's date of birth contained in the statewide voter registration database.

(II) The voter's date of birth contained in the statewide voter registration database is January 1, 1800.

(III) The board of elections has found, by a vote of at least three of its members, that the voter has met the requirements of divisions (D)(3)(a)(i), (ii), (iv), and (v) of this section.

(iv) The voter's signature; and

(v) ~~One~~ All of the following ~~forms of~~ identification:

(I) The voter's unexpired Ohio driver's license or state identification card number;

(II) The last four digits of the voter's social security number; orand

(III) A copy of ~~a current and valid~~ the front and back of the voter's photo identification, a military identification, or a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document, other than a notice of voter registration mailed by a board of elections, that shows the voter's name and address.

(b) If the election officials find that the identification envelope statement of voter is incomplete or that the information contained in that statement does not conform to the information contained in the statewide voter registration database concerning the voter, the election officials shall mail a written notice to the voter, informing the voter of the nature of the defect. The notice shall inform the voter that in order for the voter's ballot to be counted, the voter must provide the necessary information to the board of elections in writing and on a form prescribed by the secretary of state not later than the seventh day after the day of the election. The voter may deliver the form to the office of the board in person or by mail. If the voter provides the necessary information to the board of elections not later than the seventh day after the day of the election and the ballot is not successfully challenged on another basis, the voter's ballot shall be processed and counted in accordance with this section.

(4) If no such challenge is made, or if such a challenge is made and not sustained, the voting location manager shall open the envelope without defacing the statement of voter and without mutilating the ballots in it, and shall remove the ballots contained in it and proceed to count them.

(5)(a) Except as otherwise provided in division (D)(5)(b) of this section, the name of each person voting who is entitled to vote only an absent voter's presidential ballot shall be entered in a pollbook or poll list or signature pollbook followed by the words "Absentee Presidential Ballot." The name of each person voting an absent voter's ballot, other than such persons entitled to vote only a presidential ballot, shall be entered in the pollbook or poll list or signature pollbook and the person's registration card marked to indicate that the person has voted.

(b) If the person voting has a confidential voter registration record, the person's registration card shall be marked to indicate that the person has voted, but the person's name shall not be entered in the pollbook or poll list or signature pollbook.

(6) The date of such election shall also be entered on the elector's registration form. If any such challenge is made and sustained, the identification envelope of such elector shall not be opened, shall be endorsed "Not Counted" with the reasons the ballots were not counted, and shall be delivered to the board.

(E)(1) When the board of elections receives absent voter's ballots from an elector who has provided a program participant identification number instead of a residence address on the identification envelope statement of voter, the director and the deputy director personally shall examine and process the identification envelope statement of voter in the manner prescribed in division (D) of this section.

(2) If the director and the deputy director find that the identification envelope statement of voter is incomplete or that the information contained in that statement does not conform to the information contained in the statewide voter registration database concerning the voter or to the information contained in the voter's confidential voter registration record, the director and the deputy director shall mail a written notice to the voter informing the voter of the nature of the defect. The notice shall inform the voter that in order for the voter's ballot to be counted the voter must provide the necessary information to the board of elections in writing and on a form prescribed by the secretary of state not later than the seventh day after the day of the election. The voter may deliver the form to the office of the board in person or by mail. If the voter provides the necessary information to the board of elections not later than the seventh day after the day of the election and the ballot is not successfully challenged on another basis, the voter's ballot shall be counted in accordance with this section.

(3) The director or the deputy director may challenge the ballot on the ground that the signature on the envelope is not the same as the signature on the registration form, that the identification envelope statement of voter is incomplete, or upon any other of the grounds upon which the right of persons to vote may be lawfully challenged. If such a challenge is made, the board of elections shall decide whether to sustain the challenge.

(4) If neither the director nor the deputy director challenges the ballot, or if such a challenge is made and not sustained, the director and the deputy director shall open the envelope without defacing the statement of voter and without mutilating the ballots in it, shall remove the ballots contained in it, and shall transmit the ballots to the election officials to be counted with other absent voter's ballots from that precinct.

(F) The board of elections may process absent voter's ballots before the time for counting those ballots, but the board shall not tabulate or count the votes on those ballots before that time. As used in this section and section 3511.11 of the Revised Code, processing an absent voter's ballot means any of the following:

(1) Examining the identification envelope statement of voter in order to verify that the absent voter's ballot is eligible to be counted under section 3509.07 of the Revised Code;

(2) Opening the identification envelope, if the absent voter's ballot is eligible to be counted;

(3) Determining the validity of the absent voter's ballot under section 3509.07 of the Revised Code;

(4) Preparing and sorting the absent voter's ballot for scanning by automatic tabulating equipment;

(5) Scanning the absent voter's ballot by automatic tabulating equipment, if the equipment used by the board of elections permits an absent voter's ballot to be scanned without tabulating or counting the votes on the ballots scanned.

(G) Special election officials, employees or members of the board of elections, or observers shall not disclose the count or any portion of the count of absent voter's ballots prior to the time of the closing of the polling places. No person shall recklessly disclose the count or any portion of the count of absent voter's ballots in such a manner as to jeopardize the secrecy of any individual ballot.

(H)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (H)(2) of this section, observers may be appointed under section 3505.21 of the Revised Code to witness the examination and opening of identification envelopes and the processing and counting of absent voters' ballots under this section.

(2) Observers shall not be permitted to witness the examination and opening of identification envelopes returned by, and the processing and counting of absent voter's ballots cast by, electors who have confidential voter registration records in a manner that would permit the observers to learn the identities or residence addresses of those electors.

(I) A board of elections is prohibited from processing and counting any absent voter's ballots that were not returned to the secretary of state or a board of elections either in person or by mail. Any absent voter's ballots returned to a drop box of any kind shall not be processed and counted.

Sec. 3509.07. If election officials find that any of the following are true concerning an absent voter's ballot or absent voter's presidential ballot cast under section 3503.16, 3509.05, 3509.08, or 3511.09 of the Revised Code and, if applicable, the person did not provide any required additional information to the board of elections not later than the seventh day after the day of the election, as permitted under division (D)(3)(b) or (E)(2) of section 3509.06 of the Revised Code, the ballot shall not be accepted or counted:

(A) The statement accompanying the ballot is incomplete as described in division (D)(3)(a) of section 3509.06 of the Revised Code or is insufficient;

(B) The signatures do not correspond with the person's registration signature;

(D) The ballot envelope contains more than one ballot of any one kind, or any voted ballot that the elector is not entitled to vote;

(E) Stub A is detached from the absent voter's ballot or absent voter's presidential ballot; or

(F) The elector has not included with the elector's ballot any identification required under section 3509.05 or 3511.09 of the Revised Code.

The vote of any absent voter may be challenged for cause in the same manner as other votes are challenged, and the election officials shall determine the legality of that ballot. Every ballot not counted shall be endorsed on its back "Not Counted" with the reasons the ballot was not counted, and shall be enclosed and returned to or retained by the board of elections along with the contested ballots.

Sec. 3509.08. (A) Any qualified elector, who, on account of the elector's own personal illness, physical disability, or infirmity, or on account of the elector's confinement in a jail or workhouse under sentence for a misdemeanor or awaiting trial on a felony or misdemeanor, will be unable to travel from the elector's home or place of confinement to the voting booth in the elector's precinct on the day of any general, special, or primary election may make application in writing for an absent voter's ballot to ~~the director of~~ the board of elections of the elector's county. The application shall include all of the information required under section 3509.03 of the Revised Code and shall state the nature of the elector's illness, physical disability, or infirmity, or the fact that the elector is confined in a jail or workhouse and the elector's resultant inability to travel to the election booth in the elector's precinct on election day. ~~The~~ Except as otherwise provided in division (B) of this section, the application shall not be valid if it is delivered to the ~~director~~ office of the board before the ninetieth day or after twelve noon of the third day before the day of the election at which the ballot is to be voted.

The absent voter's ballot may be mailed directly to the applicant at the applicant's voting residence or place of confinement as stated in the applicant's application, or the board may designate two board employees belonging to the two major political parties for the purpose of delivering the ballot to the disabled or confined elector and returning it to the board, unless the applicant is confined to a public or private institution within the county, in which case the board shall designate two board employees belonging to the two major political parties for the purpose of delivering the ballot to the disabled or confined elector and returning it to the board. In all other instances, the ballot shall be returned to the office of the board in the manner prescribed in section 3509.05 of the Revised Code.

Any disabled or confined elector who declares to the two board employees belonging to the two major political parties that the elector is unable to mark the elector's ballot by reason of physical infirmity that is apparent to the employees to be sufficient to incapacitate the voter from marking the elector's ballot properly, may receive, upon request, the assistance of the employees in marking the elector's ballot, and they shall thereafter give no information in regard to this matter. Such assistance shall not be rendered for any other cause.

When two board employees belonging to the two major political parties deliver a ballot to a disabled or confined elector, each of the employees shall be present when the ballot is delivered, when assistance is given, and when the ballot is returned to the office of the board, and shall subscribe to the declaration on the identification envelope.

The secretary of state shall prescribe the form of application for absent voter's ballots under this division.

This chapter applies to disabled and confined absent voter's ballots except as otherwise provided in this section.

(B)(1) Any qualified elector who is unable to travel to the voting booth in the elector's precinct on the day of any general, special, or primary election may apply to ~~the director of~~ the board of elections of the county where the elector is a qualified elector to vote in the election by absent voter's ballot if either of the following apply:

(a) The elector is confined in a hospital as a result of an accident or unforeseeable medical emergency occurring before the election;

(b) The elector's minor child is confined in a hospital as a result of an accident or unforeseeable medical emergency occurring before the election.

(2) The application authorized under division (B)(1) of this section shall be made in writing, shall include all of the information required under section 3509.03 of the Revised Code, and shall be delivered to the ~~director~~ office of the board not later than three p.m. on the day of the election. The application shall indicate the hospital where the applicant or the applicant's child is confined, the date of the applicant's or the applicant's child's admission to the hospital, and the offices for which the applicant is qualified to vote. The applicant may also request that a member of the applicant's family, as listed in section 3509.05 of the Revised Code, deliver the absent voter's ballot to the applicant. The ~~director~~ board, after establishing to the ~~director's~~ board's satisfaction the validity of the circumstances claimed by the applicant, shall supply an absent voter's ballot to be delivered to the applicant. When the applicant or the applicant's child is in a hospital in the county where the applicant is a qualified elector and no request is made for a member of the family to deliver the ballot, the ~~director~~ board shall arrange for the delivery of an absent voter's ballot to the applicant, and for its return to the office of the board, by two board employees belonging to the two major political parties according to the procedures prescribed in division (A) of this section. When the applicant or the applicant's child is in a hospital outside the county where the applicant is a qualified elector and no request is made for a member of the family to deliver the ballot, the ~~director~~ board shall arrange for the delivery of an absent voter's ballot to the applicant by mail, and the ballot shall be returned to the office of the board in the manner prescribed in section 3509.05 of the Revised Code.

(3) Any qualified elector who is eligible to vote under division (B) or (C) of section 3503.16 of the Revised Code but is unable to do so because of the circumstances described in division (B)(2) of this section may vote in accordance with division (B)(1) of this section if that qualified elector states in the application for absent voter's ballots that that qualified elector moved or had a change of name under the circumstances described in division (B) or (C) of section 3503.16 of the Revised Code and if that qualified elector complies with divisions (G)(1) to (4) of section 3503.16 of the Revised Code.

(C) Any qualified elector described in division (A) or (B)(1) of this section who needs no assistance to vote or to return absent voter's ballots to the board of elections may apply for absent voter's ballots under section 3509.03 of the Revised Code instead of applying for them under this section or may cast absent voter's ballots in person under section 3509.051 of the Revised Code.

(D) Any qualified elector described in division (A) or (B)(1) of this section to whom ballots are delivered by two employees of the board of elections or who votes with the assistance of two employees of the board of elections shall be considered to have cast absent voter's ballots by mail, rather than in person, for the purpose of the laws governing voter identification. Such an elector may provide any of the types of identification acceptable for mail-in absent voter's ballots to the election officials at the time the ballots are delivered to the elector or at the time the election officials assist the elector in marking the ballot, as the case may be.

Sec. 3509.09. (A) The poll list or signature pollbook for each precinct shall identify each registered elector in that precinct who has requested an absent voter's ballot for that election or cast absent voter's ballots in person under section 3509.051 of the Revised Code, other than an elector who has a confidential voter registration record, as described in section 111.44 of the Revised Code.

~~(B)(1)~~(B) If a registered elector appears to vote ~~in that precinct~~ and that elector has requested or cast an absent voter's ballot for that election but the director has not received a sealed identification envelope purporting to contain that elector's voted absent voter's ballots for that election, the elector shall be permitted to cast a provisional ballot under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code in that precinct on the day of that election.

(2) If a registered elector appears to vote in that precinct and that elector has requested an absent voter's ballot for that election and the director has received a sealed identification envelope purporting to contain that elector's ~~voted absent voter's ballots for that election~~, the elector shall be permitted to cast a provisional ballot under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code ~~in that precinct on the day of that election~~.

(C)(1) In counting absent voter's ballots under section 3509.06 of the Revised Code, the board of elections shall compare the signature of each elector from whom the ~~director~~ board has received a sealed identification envelope purporting to contain that elector's voted absent voter's ballots for that election to the signature on that elector's registration form. Except as otherwise provided in division (C)(3) of this section, if the board of elections determines that the absent voter's ballot in the sealed identification envelope is valid, it shall be counted. If the board of elections determines that the signature on the sealed identification envelope purporting to contain the elector's voted absent voter's ballot does not match the signature on the elector's registration form, the ballot shall be set aside and the board shall examine, during the time prior to the beginning of the official canvass, the poll list or signature pollbook from the precinct in which the elector is registered to vote to determine if the elector also cast a provisional ballot under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code ~~in that precinct on the day of the election~~.

(2) The board of elections shall count the provisional ballot, instead of the absent voter's ballot, if both of the following apply:

(a) The board of elections determines that the signature of the elector on the outside of the identification envelope in which the absent voter's ballots are enclosed does not match the signature of the elector on the elector's registration form;

(b) The elector cast a provisional ballot in the ~~precinct on the day of the~~ election.

(3) If the board of elections does not receive the sealed identification envelope purporting to contain the elector's voted absent voter's ballot by the ~~applicable deadline established under section 3509.05~~ close of the ~~Revised Code~~ polls on the day of the election, the provisional ballot cast under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code ~~in that precinct on the day of the election~~ shall be counted as valid, if that provisional ballot is otherwise determined to be valid pursuant to section 3505.183 of the Revised Code.

(D) If the board of elections counts a provisional ballot under division (C)(2) or (3) of this section, the returned identification envelope of that elector shall not be opened, and the ballot within that envelope shall not be counted. The identification envelope shall be endorsed "Not Counted" with the reason the ballot was not counted.

Sec. 3509.10. If a board of elections receives an application for absent voter's ballots under ~~this chapter~~ section 3509.03 of the Revised Code and it is apparent to the board that the absent voter is a uniformed services voter or overseas voter, as defined in section 3511.01 of the Revised Code, the board shall consider that applicant to have applied for uniformed services or overseas ballots under Chapter 3511. of the Revised Code and shall provide those ballots to that voter in accordance with the timelines and procedures applicable to uniformed services and overseas absent voters.

Sec. 3511.02. (A) Notwithstanding any section of the Revised Code to the contrary, whenever any person applies for registration as a voter on a form adopted in accordance with federal regulations relating to the "Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act," 100 Stat. 924, 42 U.S.C.A. 1973ff (1986), this application shall be sufficient for voter registration and as a request for an absent voter's ballot. Uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots may be obtained by any person meeting the requirements of section 3511.011 of the Revised Code by applying electronically to the secretary of state or to the board of elections of the county in which the person's voting residence is located in accordance with section 3511.021 of the Revised Code or by applying to the ~~director of the~~ board of elections of the county in which the person's voting residence is located, in one of the following ways:

(1) That person may make written application for those ballots. The person may personally deliver the application to the ~~director~~ office of the board or may mail it, send it by facsimile machine, send it by electronic mail, send it through internet delivery if such delivery is offered by the board of elections or the secretary of state, or otherwise send it to the ~~director~~ board. Except as otherwise provided in division (B) of this section, the application need not be in any particular form but shall contain all of the following information:

(a) The elector's name;

(b) The elector's signature;

(d) The elector's date of birth;

(e) ~~One of the following:~~

(i) The elector's photo identification or United States passport that is not expired, if the elector will be marking absent voter's ballots in person at the office of the board of elections; or

(ii) If the elector will not be marking the ballots in person, the elector's Ohio driver's license or state identification card number and expiration date;

~~(ii) The~~ , the last four digits of the elector's social security number;

~~(iii) A~~ , and a copy of the front and back of the elector's ~~current and valid~~ photo identification, a copy of a military identification, or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document, other than a notice of voter registration mailed by a board of elections under section 3503.19 of the Revised Code, that shows the name and address of the elector.

(f) A statement identifying the election for which absent voter's ballots are requested;

(g) A statement that the person requesting the ballots is a qualified elector;

(h) A statement that the elector is an absent uniformed services voter or overseas voter as defined in 42 U.S.C. 1973ff-6;

(i) A statement of the elector's length of residence in the state immediately preceding the commencement of service, immediately preceding the date of leaving to be with or near the service member, or immediately preceding leaving the United States, or a statement that the elector's parent or legal guardian resided in this state long enough to establish residency for voting purposes immediately preceding leaving the United States, whichever is applicable;

(j) If the request is for primary election ballots, the elector's party affiliation;

(k) If the elector desires ballots to be mailed to the elector, the address to which those ballots shall be mailed;

(l) If the elector desires ballots to be sent to the elector by facsimile machine, the telephone number to which they shall be so sent;

(m) If the elector desires ballots to be sent to the elector by electronic mail or, if offered by the board of elections or the secretary of state, through internet delivery, the elector's electronic mail address or other internet contact information.

(2) A voter or any relative of a voter listed in division (A)(3) of this section may use a single federal post card application to apply for uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots for use at the primary and general elections in a given year and any special election to be held on the day in that year specified by division (E) of section 3501.01 of the Revised Code for the holding of a primary election, designated by the general assembly for the purpose of submitting constitutional amendments proposed by the general assembly to the voters of the state. A single federal postcard application shall be processed by the board of elections pursuant to section 3511.04 of the Revised Code the same as if the voter had applied separately for uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots for each election.

(3) Application to have uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots mailed or sent by facsimile machine to such a person may be made by the spouse, father, mother, father-in-law, mother-in-law, grandfather, grandmother, brother or sister of the whole blood or half blood, son, daughter, adopting parent, adopted child, stepparent, stepchild, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, uncle, aunt, nephew, or niece of such a person. The application shall be in writing upon a blank form furnished only by the ~~director~~ board or on a single federal post card as provided in division (A)(2) of this section. The form of the application shall be prescribed by the secretary of state. The ~~director~~ board shall furnish that blank form to any of the relatives specified in this division desiring to make the application, only upon the request of such a relative made in person at the office of the board or upon the written request of such a relative mailed to the office of the board. Except as otherwise provided in division (B) of this section, the application, subscribed and sworn to by the applicant, shall contain all of the following:

(a) The full name of the elector for whom ballots are requested;

(b) A statement that the elector is an absent uniformed services voter or overseas voter as defined in 42 U.S.C. 1973ff-6;

(d) A statement identifying the elector's length of residence in the state immediately preceding the commencement of service, immediately preceding the date of leaving to be with or near a service member, or immediately preceding leaving the United States, or a statement that the elector's parent or legal guardian resided in this state long enough to establish residency for voting purposes immediately preceding leaving the United States, as the case may be;

(e) The elector's date of birth;

(f) ~~One~~ All of the following:

(i) The elector's unexpired Ohio driver's license or state identification card number and the expiration date;

(ii) The last four digits of the elector's social security number;

(iii) A copy of the front and back of the elector's ~~current and valid~~ photo identification, a copy of a military identification, or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document, other than a notice of voter registration mailed by a board of elections under section 3503.19 of the Revised Code, that shows the name and address of the elector.

(g) A statement identifying the election for which absent voter's ballots are requested;

(h) A statement that the person requesting the ballots is a qualified elector;

(i) If the request is for primary election ballots, the elector's party affiliation;

(j) A statement that the applicant bears a relationship to the elector as specified in division (A)(3) of this section;

(k) The address to which ballots shall be mailed, the telephone number to which ballots shall be sent by facsimile machine, the electronic mail address to which ballots shall be sent by electronic mail, or, if internet delivery is offered by the board of elections or the secretary of state, the internet contact information to which ballots shall be sent through internet delivery;

(l) The signature and address of the person making the application.

(B) If the elector has a confidential voter registration record, as described in section 111.44 of the Revised Code, the application may include the elector's program participant identification number instead of the address at which the elector is registered to vote.

(C) Each application for uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots shall be delivered to the ~~director~~ office of the board not earlier than the first day of January of the year of the elections for which the uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots are requested or not earlier than ninety days before the day of the election at which the ballots are to be voted, whichever is earlier, and not later than twelve noon of the third day preceding the day of the election, or not later than six p.m. on the last Friday before the day of the election at which those ballots are to be voted if the application is delivered in person to the office of the board.

(D) If the voter for whom the application is made is entitled to vote for presidential and vice-presidential electors only, the applicant shall submit to the ~~director~~ board, in addition to the requirements of division (A) of this section, a statement to the effect that the voter is qualified to vote for presidential and vice-presidential electors and for no other offices.

(E) A board of elections that mails a federal post card application or other absent voter's ballot application to an elector under this section shall not prepay the return postage for that application.

(F) Except as otherwise provided in this section and in sections 3505.24 and 3509.08 of the Revised Code, an election official shall not fill out any portion of a federal post card application or other application for absent voter's ballots on behalf of an applicant. The secretary of state or a board of elections ~~may~~ shall not preprint ~~only~~ an applicant's name ~~and~~ , address, or any other personal information specific to the applicant on a federal post card application or other application for absent voter's ballots before mailing that application to the applicant~~, except that if the applicant has a confidential voter registration record, the secretary of state or the board of elections shall not preprint the applicant's address on the application~~.

Sec. 3511.04. (A) If a ~~director of a~~ board of elections receives an application for uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots that does not contain all of the required information, the ~~director~~ board promptly shall notify the applicant of the additional information required to be provided by the applicant to complete that application.

(B) Not later than the forty-sixth day before the day of each general or primary election, and at the earliest possible time before the day of a special election held on a day other than the day on which a general or primary election is held, the ~~director of the~~ board of elections shall mail, send by facsimile machine, send by electronic mail, send through internet delivery if such delivery is offered by the board of elections or the secretary of state, or otherwise send uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots then ready for use as provided for in section 3511.03 of the Revised Code and for which the ~~director~~ board has received valid applications prior to that time. Thereafter, and until twelve noon of the third day preceding the day of election, the ~~director~~ board shall promptly, upon receipt of valid applications for them, mail, send by facsimile machine, send by electronic mail, send through internet delivery if such delivery is offered by the board of elections or the secretary of state, or otherwise send to the proper persons all uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots then ready for use.

If, after the seventieth day before the day of a general or primary election, any other question, issue, or candidacy is lawfully ordered submitted to the electors voting at the general or primary election, the board shall promptly provide a separate official issue, special election, or other election ballot for submitting the question, issue, or candidacy to those electors, and the ~~director~~ board shall promptly mail, send by facsimile machine, send by electronic mail, send through internet delivery if such delivery is offered by the board of elections or the secretary of state, or otherwise send each such separate ballot to each person to whom the ~~director~~ board has previously mailed or sent other uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots.

A board of elections that mails or otherwise delivers uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots to an elector under this section shall not prepay the return postage for those ballots. In mailing uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots, the ~~director~~ board shall use the fastest mail service available, but the ~~director~~ board shall not mail them by certified mail.

Sec. 3511.05. (A) The ~~director of the~~ board of elections shall place uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots sent by mail in an unsealed identification envelope, gummed ready for sealing. The ~~director~~ board shall include with uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots sent electronically, including by facsimile machine, an instruction sheet for preparing a gummed envelope in which the ballots shall be returned. The envelope for returning ballots sent by either means shall have printed or written on its face a form substantially as follows:

"Identification Envelope Statement of Voter

My voting residence in Ohio is

________________________________________________________________

(Street and Number, if any, or Rural Route and Number)

of ________________________________ (City, Village, or Township) Ohio, which is in Ward _______________ Precinct ________________ in that city, village, or township.

If I have a confidential voter registration record, I am providing my program participant identification number instead of my residence address: ________________________

The primary election ballots, if any, within this envelope are primary election ballots of the _____________ Party.

Ballots contained within this envelope are to be voted at the __________ (general, special, or primary) election to be held on the __________________________ day of ______________________, ____

My date of birth is _______________ (Month and Day), __________ (Year).

(~~Voter must provide~~ ______ If I am marking these ballots in person at the office of the board of elections, I have provided photo identification or a United States passport that is not expired to the election officials.

______ If I am marking these ballots other than in person, I have provided ~~one~~ all of the following:)

My unexpired Ohio driver's license or state identification card number is _______________ (Driver's license or state identification card number) and the expiration date is (expiration date of the driver's license or state identification card).

The last four digits of my Social Security Number are _______________ (Last four digits of Social Security Number).

______ ~~In lieu of providing a driver's license number or the last four digits of my Social Security Number, I am enclosing a~~ A copy of ~~one of the following~~ the front and back of my photo identification in the return envelope in which this identification envelope will be mailed: a current and valid photo identification, a military identification, or a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document, other than a notice of voter registration mailed by a board of elections, that shows my name and address.

I hereby declare, under penalty of election falsification, that the statements above are true, as I verily believe.

________________________

(Signature of Voter)

WHOEVER COMMITS ELECTION FALSIFICATION IS GUILTY OF A FELONY OF THE FIFTH DEGREE."

(B) The ~~director~~ board shall also mail with the ballots and the unsealed identification envelope sent by mail an unsealed return envelope, gummed, ready for sealing, for use by the voter in returning the voter's marked ballots to the ~~director~~ office of the board. The ~~director~~ board shall send with the ballots and the instruction sheet for preparing a gummed envelope sent electronically, including by facsimile machine, an instruction sheet for preparing a second gummed envelope as described in this division, for use by the voter in returning that voter's marked ballots to the ~~director~~ board. The return envelope shall have two parallel lines, each one quarter of an inch in width, printed across its face paralleling the top, with an intervening space of one quarter of an inch between such lines. The top line shall be one and one-quarter inches from the top of the envelope. Between the parallel lines shall be printed: "OFFICIAL ELECTION UNIFORMED SERVICES OR OVERSEAS ABSENT VOTER'S BALLOTS -- VIA AIR MAIL." Three blank lines shall be printed in the upper left corner on the face of the envelope for the use by the voter in placing the voter's complete military, naval, or mailing address on these lines, and beneath these lines there shall be printed a box beside the words "check if out-of-country." The voter shall check this box if the voter will be outside the United States on the day of the election. The ~~official title and the~~ post-office address of the ~~director~~ ~~to whom the envelope shall be returned~~ office of the board shall be printed on the face of such envelope in the lower right portion below the bottom parallel line.

"Instructions to voter:

If the flap on this envelope is so firmly stuck to the back of the envelope when received by you as to require forcible opening in order to use it, open the envelope in the manner least injurious to it, and, after marking your ballots and enclosing same in the envelope for mailing them to the ~~director of the~~ board of elections, reclose the envelope in the most practicable way, by sealing or otherwise, and sign the blank form printed below.

The flap on this envelope was firmly stuck to the back of the envelope when received, and required forced opening before sealing and mailing.

____________________

(Signature of voter)"

(D) Division (C) of this section does not apply when absent voter's ballots are sent electronically, including by facsimile machine.

(E) Except as otherwise provided in this division and in sections 3505.24 and 3509.08 of the Revised Code, an election official shall not fill out any portion of an identification envelope statement of voter or an absent voter's ballot on behalf of an elector. A board of elections ~~may~~ shall not preprint ~~only~~ an elector's name ~~and~~ , address, or any other personal information specific to the elector on an identification envelope statement of voter before mailing or electronically transmitting absent voter's ballots to the elector, except that if the elector has a confidential voter registration record, as described in section 111.44 of the Revised Code, the board of elections shall not preprint the elector's address on the identification envelope statement of voter.

Sec. 3511.06. The return envelope provided for in section 3511.05 of the Revised Code shall be of such size that the identification envelope can be conveniently placed within it for returning the identification envelope to the ~~director~~ office of the board of elections. The envelope in which the two envelopes and the uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots are mailed to the elector shall have two parallel lines, each one quarter of an inch in width, printed across its face, paralleling the top, with an intervening space of one-quarter of an inch between such lines. The top line shall be one and one-quarter inches from the top of the envelope. Between the parallel lines shall be printed: "official uniformed services or overseas absent voter's balloting material--via air mail." The appropriate return address of the ~~director of the~~ board of elections shall be printed in the upper left corner on the face of such envelope. Several blank lines shall be printed on the face of such envelope in the lower right portion, below the bottom parallel line, for writing in the name and address of the elector to whom such envelope is mailed.

Sec. 3511.07. When mailing unsealed identification envelopes and unsealed return envelopes to persons, the ~~director of the~~ board of elections shall insert a sheet of waxed paper or other appropriate insert between the gummed flap and the back of each of such envelopes to minimize the possibility that the flap may become firmly stuck to the back of the envelope by reason of moisture, humid atmosphere, or other conditions to which they may be subjected. If the flap on either of such envelopes should be so firmly stuck to the back of the envelope when it is received by the voter as to require forcible opening of the envelope in order to use it, the voter shall open such envelope in the manner least injurious to it, and, after marking ~~his~~ the voter's ballots and enclosing them in the envelope for mailing to the director, he the voter shall reclose such envelope in the most practicable way, by sealing it or otherwise, and shall sign the blank form printed on the back of such envelope.

Sec. 3511.08. The ~~director of the~~ board of elections shall keep a record of the name and address of each person to whom the ~~director~~ board mails or delivers uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots, the kinds of ballots so mailed or delivered, and the name and address of the person who made the application for such ballots. After the ~~director~~ board has mailed or delivered such ballots the ~~director~~ board shall not mail or deliver additional ballots of the same kind to such person pursuant to a subsequent request unless such subsequent request contains the statement that an earlier request had been sent to the ~~director~~ board prior to the thirtieth day before the election and that the uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots so requested had not been received by such person prior to the fifteenth day before the election, and provided that the ~~director~~ board has not received an identification envelope purporting to contain marked uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots from such person.

Sec. 3511.09. Upon receiving uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots, the elector shall cause the questions on the face of the identification envelope to be answered, and, by writing the elector's usual signature in the proper place on the identification envelope, the elector shall declare under penalty of election falsification that the answers to those questions are true and correct to the best of the elector's knowledge and belief. Then, the elector shall note whether there are any voting marks on the ballot. If there are any voting marks, the ballot shall be returned immediately to the board of elections; otherwise, the elector shall cause the ballot to be marked, folded separately so as to conceal the markings on it, deposited in the identification envelope, and securely sealed in the identification envelope. The elector then shall cause the identification envelope to be placed within the return envelope, sealed in the return envelope, and mailed to the director of the board of elections to whom it is addressed. The ballot shall be submitted for mailing not later than 12:01 a.m. at the place where the voter completes the ballot, on the date of the election.

If the elector ~~does not~~ is marking the absent voter's ballots in person at the office of the board of elections, the elector shall provide photo identification or a United States passport that is not expired to the election officials, or the elector may execute an affirmation under division (A)(2) of section 3505.18 of the Revised Code stating that the elector has a religious objection to being photographed and cast a provisional ballot under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code. If the elector is not marking absent voter's ballots in person, the elector shall provide the elector's unexpired Ohio driver's license or state identification card number or and expiration date and the last four digits of the elector's social security number on the statement of voter on the identification envelope, ~~the elector also~~ and shall include a copy of the front and back of the elector's photo identification in the return envelope with the identification envelope a copy of the elector's current valid photo identification, a copy of a military identification, or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document, other than a notice of voter registration mailed by a board of elections under section 3503.19 of the Revised Code, that shows the name and address of the elector.

Each elector who will be outside the United States on the day of the election shall check the box on the return envelope indicating this fact and shall mail the return envelope to the director prior to the close of the polls on election day.

Every uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballot identification envelope shall be accompanied by the following statement in boldface capital letters: WHOEVER COMMITS ELECTION FALSIFICATION IS GUILTY OF A FELONY OF THE FIFTH DEGREE.

Sec. 3511.10. ~~If, after the first day after the close of voter registration before a general or primary election and before the close of the polls on the day of that election, a valid application for~~ (A) A uniformed services or overseas absent ~~voter's ballots is delivered to the director of the board of elections~~ voter may cast absent voter's ballots in person at the office of the board by a person making the application on the person's own behalf, the director shall forthwith deliver to the person all uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots then ready for use, together with an identification envelope of elections in accordance with section 3509.051 of the Revised Code. ~~The person shall then immediately retire to a voting booth in the office of the board, and mark the ballots.~~ The person shall then fold each ballot separately so as to conceal the person's markings thereon, and deposit all of the ballots in the identification envelope and securely seal it. Thereupon the person shall fill in answers to the questions on the face of the identification envelope, and by writing the person's usual signature in the proper place thereon, the person shall declare under penalty of election falsification that the answers to those questions are true and correct to the best of that person's knowledge and belief. The person shall then deliver the identification envelope to the director. If thereafter, and before the third day preceding such election, the board provides additional separate official issue or special election ballots, as provided for in section 3511.04 of the Revised Code, the ~~director~~ board shall promptly, and not later than twelve noon of the third day preceding the day of election, mail such additional ballots to such person at the address specified by that person for that purpose. Except as otherwise provided in sections 3505.24 and 3509.08 of the Revised Code, an election official shall not fill out any portion of an application for absent voter's ballots, an identification envelope statement of voter, or an absent voter's ballot requested under this section on behalf of an applicant.

(B) In the event any person serving in the armed forces of the United States is discharged after the closing date of registration, and that person or that person's spouse, or both, meets all the other qualifications set forth in section 3511.011 of the Revised Code, the person or spouse shall be permitted to vote prior to the date of the election in the office of the board in the person's or spouse's county, as set forth in this section.

Sec. 3511.11. (A) Upon receipt of any return envelope bearing the designation "Official Election Uniformed Services or Overseas Absent Voter's Ballot" prior to the ~~eleventh day after~~ close of the polls on the day of any election, the ~~director of the~~ board of elections shall open it but shall not open the identification envelope contained in it. If, upon so opening the return envelope, the ~~director~~ board finds ballots in it that are not enclosed in and properly sealed in the identification envelope, the ~~director~~ board shall not look at the markings upon the ballots and shall promptly place them in the identification envelope and promptly seal it. If, upon so opening the return envelope, the ~~director~~ board finds that ballots are enclosed in the identification envelope but that it is not properly sealed, the ~~director~~ board shall not look at the markings upon the ballots and shall promptly seal the identification envelope.

(B) Uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots ~~delivered to the director not later than the close of the polls on election day~~ shall be processed and counted in the manner provided in section 3509.06 of the Revised Code.

(C) A return envelope is not required to be postmarked in order for a uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballot contained in it to be valid. Except as otherwise provided in this division, whether or not the return envelope containing the ballot is postmarked, contains a late postmark, or contains an illegible postmark, a uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballot that is received after the close of the polls on election day through the tenth day after the election day shall be processed and counted on the eleventh day after the election day at the office of the board of elections in the manner provided in section 3509.06 of the Revised Code if the voter signed the identification envelope by the time specified in section 3511.09 of the Revised Code. However, if a return envelope containing a uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballot is so received and so indicates, but the identification envelope in it is signed after the close of the polls on election day, the uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballot shall not be counted.

~~(D) The following types of uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots shall not be counted:~~

~~(1)~~ Uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots ~~contained in return envelopes that bear the designation "Official Election Uniformed Services or Overseas Absent Voter's Ballots,"~~ that are received by the ~~director~~ board of elections after the close of the polls on the day of the election~~, and that contain an identification envelope that is signed after the time specified in section 3511.09 of the Revised Code;~~

~~(2) Uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots contained in return envelopes that bear that designation and that are received after the tenth day following the election~~ shall not be counted.

The uncounted ballots shall be preserved in their identification envelopes unopened until the time provided by section 3505.31 of the Revised Code for the destruction of all other ballots used at the election for which ballots were provided, at which time they shall be destroyed.

Sec. 3511.13. (A) The poll list or signature pollbook for each precinct shall identify each registered elector in that precinct who has requested a uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballot for that election or cast absent voter's ballots in person under section 3509.051 of the Revised Code, other than an elector who has a confidential voter registration record, as described in section 111.44 of the Revised Code.

~~(B)(1)~~(B) If a registered elector appears to vote ~~in that precinct~~ and that elector has requested or cast a uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballot for that election but the director has not received a sealed identification envelope purporting to contain that elector's voted uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots for that election, the elector shall be permitted to cast a provisional ballot under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code in that precinct on the day of that election.

(2) If a registered elector appears to vote in that precinct and that elector has requested a uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballot for that election and the director has received a sealed identification envelope purporting to contain that elector's voted uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots for that election, the elector shall be permitted to cast a provisional ballot under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code ~~in that precinct on the day of that election~~.

(C)(1) In counting uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots under section 3511.11 of the Revised Code, the board of elections shall compare the signature of each elector from whom the ~~director~~ board has received a sealed identification envelope purporting to contain that elector's voted uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots for that election to the signature on the elector's registration form. Except as otherwise provided in division (C)(3) of this section, if the board of elections determines that the uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballot in the sealed identification envelope is valid, it shall be counted. If the board of elections determines that the signature on the sealed identification envelope purporting to contain the elector's voted uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballot does not match the signature on the elector's registration form, the ballot shall be set aside and the board shall examine, during the time prior to the beginning of the official canvass, the poll list or signature pollbook from the precinct in which the elector is registered to vote to determine if the elector also cast a provisional ballot under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code ~~in that precinct on the day of the election~~.

(2) The board of elections shall count the provisional ballot, instead of the uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballot, of an elector from whom the ~~director~~ board has received an identification envelope purporting to contain that elector's voted uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots, if both of the following apply:

(a) The board of elections determines that the signature of the elector on the outside of the identification envelope in which the uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots are enclosed does not match the signature of the elector on the elector's registration form;

(b) The elector cast a provisional ballot in the ~~precinct on the day of the~~ election.

(3) If the board of elections does not receive the sealed identification envelope purporting to contain the elector's voted uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballot by the ~~applicable deadline established under section 3511.11~~ close of the polls on the day of the ~~Revised Code~~ election, the provisional ballot cast under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code ~~in that precinct on the day of the election~~ shall be counted as valid, if that provisional ballot is otherwise determined to be valid pursuant to section 3505.183 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3599.27. (A) No unauthorized person shall have in the person's possession any voting machine that may be owned or leased by any county or any of the parts or the keys thereof. No person shall tamper or attempt to tamper with, deface, impair the use of, destroy, or otherwise injure in any manner any voting machine.

No unauthorized person shall have in the person's possession any marking device, automatic tabulating equipment, or any of the parts, appurtenances, or accessories thereof. No person shall tamper or attempt to tamper with, deface, impair the use of, destroy, or otherwise change or injure in any manner any marking device, automatic tabulating equipment, or any appurtenances or accessories thereof.

(B) No person, election official, employee of a board of elections, public official, public employee, service employee, vendor, or vendor employee shall connect or attempt to connect any of the devices listed in this section or in section 3506.23 of the Revised Code to the internet.

(C) Whoever violates division (A) of this section is guilty of a felony of the fifth degree. Whoever violates division (B) of this section is guilty of a felony of the fourth degree punishable by a fine of five thousand dollars or imprisonment for eighteen months, or both.

Sec. 4507.41. (A) As used in this section, "distinguishing number" means the identifying number required on every commercial driver's license, driver's license, temporary instruction permit, and identification card that is unique to the holder of the license, permit, or card and is required under sections 4506.11, 4507.13, and 4507.52 of the Revised Code.

(B) The registrar of motor vehicles shall ensure that the distinguishing number on a commercial driver's license, driver's license, temporary instruction permit, or identification card is arranged as follows:

(1) For any holder that is a citizen of the United States, the letters appear before the numbers.

(2) For any holder that is not a citizen of the United States, the numbers appear before the letters.

(C) The registrar shall ensure that any identifying number unique to each nonrenewable license issued under section 4507.09 of the Revised Code complies with division (B) of this section.

(D) This section applies to both of the following:

(1) Every commercial driver's license, driver's license, nonrenewable license, temporary instruction permit, or identification card that is initially issued after the effective date of this section;

(2) Every commercial driver's license, driver's license, temporary instruction permit, or identification card that is renewed after the effective date of this section. Upon such renewal, the registrar shall issue a holder a new distinguishing number if necessary to comply with this section.

(E) The registrar may adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code to implement and administer this section.

Sec. 4507.50. (A)(1) The registrar of motor vehicles or a deputy registrar shall issue an identification card to a person when all of the following apply:

(a) The registrar or deputy registrar receives an application completed in accordance with section 4507.51 of the Revised Code and, if the person is under seventeen years of age, payment of the applicable fees.

(b) The person is a resident or a temporary resident of this state.

(d) The person does not hold an identification card from another jurisdiction.

(2)(a) The registrar of motor vehicles or a deputy registrar may issue a temporary identification card when all of the following apply:

(i) The registrar or deputy registrar receives an application completed in accordance with section 4507.51 of the Revised Code and payment of the applicable fees.

(ii) The person is a resident or temporary resident of this state.

(iii) The person's Ohio driver's or commercial driver's license has been suspended or canceled.

(iv) The person does not hold an identification card from another jurisdiction.

(b) The temporary identification card shall be identical to an identification card, except that it shall be printed on its face with a statement that the card is valid during the effective dates of the suspension or cancellation of the cardholder's license, or until the birthday of the cardholder in the fourth year after the date on which it is issued, whichever is shorter.

(c) The cardholder shall surrender the temporary identification card to the registrar or any deputy registrar before the cardholder's driver's or commercial driver's license is restored or reissued.

(B)(1) Except as provided in division ~~(C) or~~ (D) of this section, an applicant who is under seventeen years of age shall pay the following fees prior to issuance of an identification card or a temporary identification card:

(a) A fee of three dollars and fifty cents if the card will expire on the applicant's birthday four years after the date of issuance or a fee of six dollars if the card will expire on the applicant's birthday eight years after the date of issuance;

(b) A fee equal to the amount established under section 4503.038 of the Revised Code if the card will expire on the applicant's birthday four years after the date of issuance or twice that amount if the card will expire on the applicant's birthday eight years after the date of issuance;

(c) A fee of one dollar and fifty cents if the card will expire on the applicant's birthday four years after the date of issuance or three dollars if the card will expire on the applicant's birthday eight years after the date of issuance, for the authentication of the documents required for processing an identification card or temporary identification card. A deputy registrar that authenticates the required documents shall retain the entire amount of the fee.

(2) The fees collected for issuing an identification card under this section, except for any fees allowed to the deputy registrar, shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the public safety - highway purposes fund created in section 4501.06 of the Revised Code.

(C) A ~~disabled veteran who has a service-connected disability rated at one hundred per cent by the veterans' administration~~ person seventeen years of age or older may apply to the registrar or a deputy registrar for the issuance to that ~~veteran~~ person of an identification card or a temporary identification card under this section without payment of any fee prescribed in division (B) of this section.

~~An application made under this division shall be accompanied by such documentary evidence of disability as the registrar may require by rule.~~

(D) A resident who is eligible for an identification card with an expiration date that is in accordance with division (A)(8)(b) of section 4507.52 of the Revised Code and who is ~~currently unemployed~~ under seventeen years of age may apply to the registrar or a deputy registrar for the issuance of an identification card under this section without payment of any fee as prescribed in division (B) of this section.

An application made under division (D) of this section shall be accompanied by such documentary evidence of disability ~~and unemployment~~ as the registrar may require by rule.

Sec. 4507.501. ~~In addition to the fees collected under section 4507.50 of the Revised Code, the~~ The registrar or deputy registrar of motor vehicles shall ask each applicant for an identification card or duplicate under section 4507.51 of the Revised Code whether the person wishes to make a one-dollar voluntary contribution to the second chance trust fund established under section 2108.34 of the Revised Code. The registrar or deputy registrar shall also make available to the person informational material provided by the department of health on the importance of organ, tissue, and eye donation.

All donations collected under this section during each month shall be forwarded by the registrar or deputy registrar not later than the fifth day of the immediately following month to the treasurer of state, who shall deposit them in the second chance trust fund.

Sec. 4507.502. (A)(1) On the last business day of every month, each deputy registrar shall submit a verification form to the secretary of state that contains the following information:

(a) The number of identification cards and temporary identification cards issued or renewed under section 4507.50 of the Revised Code during the course of that month without payment of any fees;

(b) The number of duplicate, reprint, or replacement identification cards issued under section 4507.52 of the Revised Code during the course of that month without payment of any fees.

(2) The secretary of state shall establish the necessary verification form and the manner in which the form shall be submitted.

(B) The secretary of state shall reimburse each deputy registrar for the deputy registrar's services in issuing identification cards, based on the information submitted in accordance with division (A) of this section, in the following amounts:

(1) The amount established under section 4503.038 of the Revised Code for each card issued under section 4507.50 of the Revised Code that will expire on the applicant's birthday four years after the date of issuance;

(2) Two times the amount established under section 4503.038 of the Revised Code for each card issued under section 4507.50 of the Revised Code that will expire on the applicant's birthday eight years after the date of issuance;

(3) One dollar and fifty cents for the authentication of documents for each card issued under section 4507.50 of the Revised Code that will expire on the applicant's birthday four years after the date of issuance;

(4) Three dollars for the authentication of documents for each card issued under section 4507.50 of the Revised Code that will expire on the applicant's birthday eight years after the date of issuance;

(5) The amount established under section 4503.038 of the Revised Code for each duplicate, reprint, or replacement card issued under section 4507.52 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 4507.51. (A)(1) Every application for an identification card or duplicate shall be made on a form furnished or in a manner specified by the registrar of motor vehicles, shall be signed by the applicant, and by the applicant's parent or guardian if the applicant is under eighteen years of age, and shall contain the following information pertaining to the applicant: name, date of birth, sex, general description including the applicant's height, weight, hair color, and eye color, address, country of citizenship, and social security number. The application also shall include, for an applicant who has not already certified the applicant's willingness to make an anatomical gift under section 2108.05 of the Revised Code, whether the applicant wishes to certify willingness to make such an anatomical gift and shall include information about the requirements of sections 2108.01 to 2108.29 of the Revised Code that apply to persons who are less than eighteen years of age. The statement regarding willingness to make such a donation shall be given no consideration in the decision of whether to issue an identification card. Each applicant applying in person at a deputy registrar office shall be photographed in color at the time of making application.

(2)(a) The application also shall state whether the applicant has executed a valid durable power of attorney for health care pursuant to sections 1337.11 to 1337.17 of the Revised Code or has executed a declaration governing the use or continuation, or the withholding or withdrawal, of life-sustaining treatment pursuant to sections 2133.01 to 2133.15 of the Revised Code and, if the applicant has executed either type of instrument, whether the applicant wishes the identification card issued to indicate that the applicant has executed the instrument.

(b) The application also shall state whether the applicant is a veteran, active duty, or reservist of the armed forces of the United States and, if the applicant is such, whether the applicant wishes the identification card issued to indicate that the applicant is a veteran, active duty, or reservist of the armed forces of the United States by a military designation on the identification card.

(3) The registrar or deputy registrar, in accordance with section 3503.11 of the Revised Code, shall register as an elector any person who applies for an identification card or duplicate if the applicant is eligible and wishes to be registered as an elector. The decision of an applicant whether to register as an elector shall be given no consideration in the decision of whether to issue the applicant an identification card or duplicate.

(B) Except as provided in section 4507.061 of the Revised Code, the application for an identification card or duplicate shall be filed in the office of the registrar or deputy registrar. Each applicant shall present documentary evidence as required by the registrar of the applicant's age and identity, and the applicant shall swear that all information given is true. An identification card issued by the department of rehabilitation and correction under section 5120.59 of the Revised Code or an identification card issued by the department of youth services under section 5139.511 of the Revised Code shall be sufficient documentary evidence under this division upon verification of the applicant's social security number by the registrar or a deputy registrar. Upon issuing an identification card under this section for a person who has been issued an identification card under section 5120.59 or section 5139.511 of the Revised Code, the registrar or deputy registrar shall destroy the identification card issued under section 5120.59 or section 5139.511 of the Revised Code.

All applications for an identification card or duplicate under this section shall be filed in duplicate, and if submitted to a deputy registrar, a copy shall be forwarded to the registrar. The registrar shall prescribe rules for the manner in which a deputy registrar is to file and maintain applications and other records. The registrar shall maintain a suitable, indexed record of all applications denied and cards issued or canceled.

(C) In addition to any other information it contains, the form furnished by the registrar of motor vehicles for an application for an identification card or duplicate shall inform applicants that the applicant must present a copy of the applicant's DD-214 or an equivalent document in order to qualify to have the card or duplicate indicate that the applicant is an honorably discharged veteran of the armed forces of the United States based on a request made pursuant to division (A)(2)(b) of this section.

Sec. 4507.52. (A)(1) Each identification card issued by the registrar of motor vehicles or a deputy registrar shall display a distinguishing number assigned to the cardholder, and shall display the following inscription:

"STATE OF OHIO IDENTIFICATION CARD

This card is not valid for the purpose of operating a motor vehicle. It is provided solely for the purpose of establishing the identity of the bearer described on the card, who currently is not licensed to operate a motor vehicle in the state of Ohio."

(2) The identification card shall display substantially the same information as contained in the application and as described in division (A)(1) of section 4507.51 of the Revised Code, but shall not display the cardholder's social security number unless the cardholder specifically requests that the cardholder's social security number be displayed on the card. If federal law requires the cardholder's social security number to be displayed on the identification card, the social security number shall be displayed on the card notwithstanding this section.

(3) The identification card also shall display the color photograph of the cardholder.

(4) If the cardholder has executed a durable power of attorney for health care or a declaration governing the use or continuation, or the withholding or withdrawal, of life-sustaining treatment and has specified that the cardholder wishes the identification card to indicate that the cardholder has executed either type of instrument, the card also shall display any symbol chosen by the registrar to indicate that the cardholder has executed either type of instrument.

(5) If the cardholder has specified that the cardholder wishes the identification card to indicate that the cardholder is a veteran, active duty, or reservist of the armed forces of the United States and has presented a copy of the cardholder's DD-214 form or an equivalent document, the card also shall display any symbol chosen by the registrar to indicate that the cardholder is a veteran, active duty, or reservist of the armed forces of the United States.

(6) The card shall be designed as to prevent its reproduction or alteration without ready detection.

(7) The identification card for persons under twenty-one years of age shall have characteristics prescribed by the registrar distinguishing it from that issued to a person who is twenty-one years of age or older, except that an identification card issued to a person who applies no more than thirty days before the applicant's twenty-first birthday shall have the characteristics of an identification card issued to a person who is twenty-one years of age or older.

(8)(a) Except as provided in division (A)(8)(b) of this section, every identification card issued to a resident of this state shall expire, unless canceled or surrendered earlier, on the birthday of the cardholder in the fourth or the eighth year after the date on which it is issued, based on the period of renewal requested by the applicant.

(b) Upon request, the registrar or a deputy registrar shall issue an identification card to a resident of this state who is permanently or irreversibly disabled that shall expire, unless canceled or surrendered earlier, on the birthday of the cardholder in the eighth year after the date on which it is issued. The registrar shall issue a reminder notice to a cardholder, at the last known address of the cardholder, six months before the identification card is scheduled to expire. The registrar shall adopt rules governing the documentation a cardholder shall submit to certify that the cardholder is permanently or irreversibly disabled.

As used in this section, "permanently or irreversibly disabled" means a condition of disability from which there is no present indication of recovery.

(c) Every identification card issued to a temporary resident shall expire in accordance with rules adopted by the registrar and is nonrenewable, but may be replaced with a new identification card upon the applicant's compliance with all applicable requirements.

(9) A cardholder may renew the cardholder's identification card within ninety days prior to the day on which it expires by filing an application and paying the prescribed fee, if required, in accordance with section 4507.50 of the Revised Code.

(10) If a cardholder applies for a driver's or commercial driver's license in this state or another licensing jurisdiction, the cardholder shall surrender the cardholder's identification card to the registrar or any deputy registrar before the license is issued.

(B)(1) If a card is lost, destroyed, or mutilated, the person to whom the card was issued may obtain a duplicate by doing both of the following:

(a) Furnishing suitable proof of the loss, destruction, or mutilation to the registrar or a deputy registrar;

(b) Filing an application and presenting documentary evidence under section 4507.51 of the Revised Code.

(2) A cardholder may apply to obtain a reprint of the cardholder's identification card through electronic means in accordance with section 4507.40 of the Revised Code.

(3) Any person who loses a card and, after obtaining a duplicate or reprint, finds the original, immediately shall surrender the original to the registrar or a deputy registrar.

(4) A cardholder may obtain a replacement identification card that reflects any change of the cardholder's name by furnishing suitable proof of the change to the registrar or a deputy registrar and surrendering the cardholder's existing card.

(5)(a) When a cardholder who is under seventeen years of age applies for a duplicate or reprint or obtains a replacement identification card, the cardholder shall pay a fee of two dollars and fifty cents. A Regarding a cardholder who is under seventeen years of age, a deputy registrar shall be allowed an additional fee equal to the amount established under section 4503.038 of the Revised Code for issuing a duplicate or replacement identification card.

(b) A ~~disabled veteran who is a cardholder and has a service-connected disability rated at one hundred per cent by the veterans' administration~~ cardholder who is seventeen years of age or older may apply to the registrar or a deputy registrar for the issuance of a duplicate or replacement identification card without payment of any fee prescribed in this section or may apply to the registrar for a reprint identification card without payment of any fee prescribed in this section.

(c) A resident who is permanently or irreversibly disabled ~~and who is unemployed~~ and who is under seventeen years of age may apply to the registrar or a deputy registrar for the issuance of a duplicate or replacement identification card without payment of any fee prescribed in this section or may apply to the registrar for a reprint identification card without payment of any fee prescribed in this section.

(6) A duplicate, reprint, or replacement identification card expires on the same date as the card it replaces.

(C) The registrar shall cancel any card upon determining that the card was obtained unlawfully, issued in error, or was altered. The registrar also shall cancel any card that is surrendered to the registrar or to a deputy registrar after the holder has obtained a duplicate, reprint, replacement, or driver's or commercial driver's license.

(D)(1) No agent of the state or its political subdivisions shall condition the granting of any benefit, service, right, or privilege upon the possession by any person of an identification card. Nothing in this section shall preclude any publicly operated or franchised transit system from using an identification card for the purpose of granting benefits or services of the system.

(2) No person shall be required to apply for, carry, or possess an identification card.

(E) Except in regard to an identification card issued to a person who applies no more than thirty days before the applicant's twenty-first birthday, neither the registrar nor any deputy registrar shall issue an identification card to a person under twenty-one years of age that does not have the characteristics prescribed by the registrar distinguishing it from the identification card issued to persons who are twenty-one years of age or older.

(F) Whoever violates division (E) of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.

Section 2. That existing sections 3501.01, 3501.05, 3501.11, 3501.22, 3503.10, 3503.11, 3503.14, 3503.16, 3503.19, 3503.20, 3503.28, 3505.08, 3505.18, 3505.181, 3505.182, 3505.183, 3506.05, 3506.07, 3506.10, 3506.14, 3506.21, 3506.23, 3509.01, 3509.02, 3509.03, 3509.04, 3509.05, 3509.051, 3509.06, 3509.07, 3509.08, 3509.09, 3509.10, 3511.02, 3511.04, 3511.05, 3511.06, 3511.07, 3511.08, 3511.09, 3511.10, 3511.11, 3511.13, 3599.27, 4507.50, 4507.501, 4507.51, and 4507.52 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.

Section 3. That section 111.31 of the Revised Code is hereby repealed.

Section 4. (A) On the effective date of this section, or as soon as possible thereafter, the Secretary of State shall certify to the Director of Budget and Management the cash balances of, and current existing encumbrances against, the Absent Voter’s Ballot Application Mailing Fund (Fund 5RG0). The Secretary of State shall also specify the sources of revenue that make up the remaining cash balance.

(B) Upon receiving the certification as required in division (A) of this section, the Director of Budget and Management shall (1) cancel any existing encumbrances against Fund 5RG0 appropriation item 050627, Absentee Voter Ballot Application Mailing, and (2) shall transfer the remaining cash balance in the fund back to the original source of the revenue as certified by the Secretary of State. Upon the cancellation of the encumbrances and completion of the cash transfers, the fund is hereby abolished.

Section 5. The General Assembly, applying the principle stated in division (B) of section 1.52 of the Revised Code that amendments are to be harmonized if reasonably capable of simultaneous operation, finds that the following sections, presented in this act as composites of the sections as amended by the acts indicated, are the resulting versions of the sections in effect prior to the effective date of the sections as presented in this act:

Section 3505.08 of the Revised Code as amended by both S.B. 109 and S.B. 193 of the 130th General Assembly.

Section 3505.18 of the Revised Code as amended by S.B. 47, S.B. 109, and S.B. 216, all of the 130th General Assembly.

Section 3511.10 of the Revised Code as amended by both S.B. 205 and S.B. 238 of the 130th General Assembly.