2023 Ohio Revised Code
Title 35 | Elections
Chapter 3599 | Offenses and Penalties
Section 3599.21 | Prohibitions Concerning Absent Voter's Ballot.

Effective: April 7, 2023

Latest Legislation: House Bill 458 - 134th General Assembly

(A) No person shall knowingly do any of the following:

(1) Impersonate another, or make a false representation in order to obtain an absent voter's ballot;

(2) Aid or abet a person to vote an absent voter's ballot illegally;

(3) If the person is an election official, open, destroy, steal, mark, or mutilate any absent voter's ballot;

(4) Aid or abet another person to open, destroy, steal, mark, or mutilate any absent voter's ballot after the ballot has been voted;

(5) Delay the delivery of any absent voter's ballot with a view to preventing its arrival in time to be counted;

(6) Hinder or attempt to hinder the delivery or counting of such absent voter's ballot;

(7) Fail to forward to the appropriate election official an absent voter's ballot application entrusted to that person to so forward;

(8) Fail to forward to the appropriate election official an absent voter's ballot application entrusted to that person to so forward within ten days after that application is completed or within such a time period that the failure to so forward the application disenfranchises the voter with respect to a particular election, whichever is earlier;

(9) Return the absent voter's ballot of another to the office of a board of elections, unless either of the following apply:

(a) The person is a relative who is authorized to do so under division (C)(1) of section 3509.05 of the Revised Code;

(b) The person is, and is acting as, an employee or contractor of the United States postal service or a private carrier.

(10) Except as authorized under Chapters 3509. and 3511. of the Revised Code, possess the absent voter's ballot of another.

(B)(1) Subject to division (B)(2) of this section, no person who receives compensation for soliciting persons to apply to vote by absent voter's ballots shall fail to forward to the appropriate election official an absent voter's ballot application entrusted to that person to so forward within ten days after that application is completed.

(2) No person who receives compensation for soliciting persons to apply to vote by absent voter's ballots shall fail to forward to the appropriate election official an absent voter's ballot application entrusted to that person to so forward within such a time period that the failure to so forward the application disenfranchises the voter with respect to a particular election.

(C) Whoever violates division (A) or (B) of this section is guilty of a felony of the fourth degree.

(D) As used in this section, "person who receives compensation for soliciting persons to apply to vote by absent voter's ballots" includes any effort, for compensation, to provide absent voter's ballot applications or to assist persons in completing those applications or returning them to the director of the board of elections of the county in which the applicant's voting residence is located.

Last updated January 24, 2023 at 4:10 PM