2011 Ohio Revised Code
Title [35] XXXV ELECTIONS
Chapter 3501: ELECTION PROCEDURE; ELECTION OFFICIALS
3501.27 [First of Two Versions] Qualifications of precinct officials.

(A) All judges of election shall complete a program of instruction pursuant to division (B) of this section. No person who has been convicted of a felony or any violation of the election laws, who is unable to read and write the English language readily, or who is a candidate for an office to be voted for by the voters of the precinct in which the person is to serve shall serve as an election officer. A person when appointed as an election officer shall receive from the board of elections a certificate of appointment that may be revoked at any time by the board for good and sufficient reasons. The certificate shall be in the form the board prescribes and shall specify the precinct, ward, or district in and for which the person to whom it is issued is appointed to serve, the date of appointment, and the expiration of the person’s term of service.

(B) Each board shall establish a program as prescribed by the secretary of state for the instruction of election officers in the rules, procedures, and law relating to elections. In each program, the board shall use training materials prepared by the secretary of state and may use additional materials prepared by or on behalf of the board. The board may use the services of unpaid volunteers in conducting its program and may reimburse those volunteers for necessary and actual expenses incurred in participating in the program.

The board shall train each new election officer before the new officer participates in the first election in that capacity. The board shall instruct election officials who have been trained previously only when the board or secretary of state considers that instruction necessary, but the board shall reinstruct such persons, other than presiding judges, at least once in every three years and shall reinstruct presiding judges before the primary election in even-numbered years. The board shall schedule any program of instruction within sixty days prior to the election in which the officials to be trained will participate.

(C) The duties of a judge of an election in each polling place shall be performed only by an individual who has successfully completed the requirements of the program, unless such an individual is unavailable after reasonable efforts to obtain such services.

(D) The secretary of state shall establish a program for the instruction of members of boards of elections and employees of boards in the rules, procedures, and law relating to elections. Each member and employee shall complete the training program within six months after the member’s or employee’s original appointment or employment, and thereafter each member and employee shall complete a training program to update their knowledge once every four years or more often as determined by the secretary of state.

(E) The secretary of state shall reimburse each county for the cost of programs established pursuant to division (B) of this section, once the secretary of state has received an itemized statement of expenses for such instruction programs from the county. The itemized statement shall be in a form prescribed by the secretary of state.

Effective Date: 05-07-1986; 01-27-2006

This section is set out twice. See also § 3501.27, as amended by 129th General Assembly File No. 40, HB 194, § 1. This amendment may be subject to referendum in the Nov. 6, 2012 election.

3501.27 [Second of Two Versions] Qualifications of precinct officials

(A) All precinct election officials shall complete a program of instruction pursuant to division (B) of this section. No person who has been convicted of a felony or any violation of the election laws, who is unable to read and write the English language readily, or who is a candidate for an office to be voted for by the voters of the precinct in which the person is to serve shall serve as an election officer. A person when appointed as an election officer shall receive from the board of elections a certificate of appointment that may be revoked at any time by the board for good and sufficient reasons. The certificate shall be in the form the board prescribes and shall specify the precinct, ward, or district in and for which the person to whom it is issued is appointed to serve, the date of appointment, and the expiration of the person’s term of service.

(B)(1) Each board shall establish a program as prescribed by the secretary of state for the instruction of election officers in the rules, procedures, and law relating to elections. In each program, the board shall use training materials prepared by the secretary of state and may use additional materials prepared by or on behalf of the board. The board may use the services of unpaid volunteers in conducting its program and may reimburse those volunteers for necessary and actual expenses incurred in participating in the program.

Subject to division (B)(2) of this section, the board shall train each new election officer before the new officer participates in the first election in that capacity. The board shall instruct election officials who have been trained previously only when the board or secretary of state considers that instruction necessary, but the board shall reinstruct such persons, other than voting location managers, at least once in every three years and shall reinstruct voting location managers before the primary election in even-numbered years. The board shall schedule any program of instruction within sixty days prior to the election in which the officials to be trained will participate.

(2) In addition to the training required under division (B)(1) of this section, the secretary of state may mandate additional training for election officials on a continuing basis in an effort to achieve election uniformity.

(C) The duties of a precinct election official in each polling place shall be performed only by an individual who has successfully completed the requirements of the program, unless such an individual is unavailable after reasonable efforts to obtain such services.

(D) The secretary of state shall establish a program for the instruction of members of boards of elections and employees of boards in the rules, procedures, and law relating to elections. Each member and employee shall complete the training program within six months after the member’s or employee’s original appointment or employment, and thereafter each member and employee shall complete a training program to update their knowledge once every four years or more often as determined by the secretary of state.

(E) The secretary of state shall reimburse each county for the cost of programs established pursuant to division (B) of this section, once the secretary of state has received an itemized statement of expenses for such instruction programs from the county. The itemized statement shall be in a form prescribed by the secretary of state.

Amended by 129th General Assembly File No. 40, HB 194, § 1. This amendment may be subject to referendum in the Nov. 6, 2012 election.

Effective Date: 05-07-1986; 01-27-2006

This section is set out twice. See also § 3501.27, effective prior to amendment by HB 5 of the 129th Legislature.