HB 950

As Introduced
136th General Assembly
   Regular Session  H. B. No. 950
       2025-2026
  Representative Fischer
  To amend sections 3513.07 and 3513.261 and to  1
  repeal section 3505.02 of the Revised Code to  2
  require space on declarations of candidacy and  3
  petition forms for former names, and to remove  4
  the requirement that former names appear on the  5
  ballot.  6
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
     Section 1. That sections 3513.07 and 3513.261 of the  7
Revised Code be amended to read as follows:  8
     Sec. 3513.07. The form of declaration of candidacy and  9
petition of a person desiring to be a candidate for a party  10
nomination or a candidate for election to an office or position  11
to be voted for at a primary election shall be substantially as  12
follows:  13
  "DECLARATION OF CANDIDACY PARTY PRIMARY ELECTION  14
     I, ___________________________ (Name of Candidate and any  15
previous names used by Candidate in the last five years as  16
required under R.C. 3513.06 or 3513.271), the undersigned,  17
hereby declare under penalty of election falsification that my  18
voting residence is in _______________ precinct of the  19
_____________________________ (Township) or (Ward and City or  20
H. B. No. 950  Page 2
As Introduced
Village) in the county of ________________, Ohio; that my voting  21
residence is _______________ (Street and Number, if any, or  22
Rural Route and Number) of the _____________________________  23
(City or Village) of _________________, Ohio; and that I am a  24
qualified elector in the precinct in which my voting residence  25
is located. I am a member of the ________ Party. I hereby  26
declare that I desire to be ____________________ (a candidate  27
for nomination as a candidate of the Party for election to the  28
office of _____________) (a candidate for election to the office  29
or position of ______________) for the ____________ in the  30
state, district, (Full term or unexpired term ending  31
_______________) county, city, or village of  32
___________________, at the primary election to be held on the  33
_____________ day of _________, ____, and I hereby request that  34
my name be printed upon the official primary election ballot of  35
the said __________ Party as a candidate for _________ (such  36
nomination) or (such election) as provided by law.  37
       I further declare that, if elected to said office or  38
position, I will qualify therefor, and that I will support and  39
abide by the principles enunciated by the ____________ Party.  40
       Dated this __________ day of _________________, _________  41
  __________________________________  42
  (Signature of candidate)  43
       WHOEVER COMMITS ELECTION FALSIFICATION IS GUILTY OF A  44
FELONY OF THE FIFTH DEGREE.  45
  PETITION OF CANDIDATE  46
       We, the undersigned, qualified electors of the state of  47
Ohio, whose voting residence is in the county, city, village,  48
ward, township, or school district, and precinct set opposite  49
H. B. No. 950  Page 3
As Introduced
our names, and members of the  50
_______________________________________ Party, hereby certify  51
that ____________________________ (Name of candidate) whose  52
declaration of candidacy is filed herewith, is a member of the  53
____________ Party, and is, in our opinion, well qualified to  54
perform the duties of the office or position to which that  55
candidate desires to be elected.  56
  Street   City,  57
  and      Village or  58
Signature Number     Township  Ward Precinct   County      Date  59
       (Must use address on file with the board of elections)  60
________________________________________________________________  61
________________________________________________________________  62
________________________________________________________________  63
-     _______________________________________ (Name of circulator  64
of petition), declares under penalty of election falsification  65
that the circulator of the petition is a qualified elector of  66
the state of Ohio and resides at the address appearing below the  67
signature of that circulator; that the circulator is a member of  68
the ___________ Party; that the circulator is the circulator of  69
the foregoing petition paper containing _____________ (Number)  70
signatures; that the circulator witnessed the affixing of every  71
signature; that all signers were to the best of the circulator's  72
knowledge and belief qualified to sign; and that every signature  73
is to the best of the circulator's knowledge and belief the  74
signature of the person whose signature it purports to be or of  75
an attorney in fact acting pursuant to section 3501.382 of the  76
Revised Code.  77
  _____________________________  78
H. B. No. 950  Page 4
As Introduced
  (Signature of circulator)  79
  ____________________________  80
  (Address of circulator's  81
  permanent residence in this  82
  state)  83
  _________________________  84
  (If petition is for a  85
  statewide candidate, the  86
  name and address of person  87
  employing to circulate  88
  petition, if any)  89
       WHOEVER COMMITS ELECTION FALSIFICATION IS GUILTY OF A  90
FELONY OF THE FIFTH DEGREE."  91
       The secretary of state shall prescribe a form of  92
declaration of candidacy and petition, and the form shall be  93
substantially similar to the declaration of candidacy and  94
petition set forth in this section, that will be suitable for  95
joint candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant  96
governor.  97
       The petition provided for in this section shall be  98
circulated only by a member of the same political party as the  99
candidate.  100
       Sec. 3513.261. A nominating petition may consist of one or  101
more separate petition papers, each of which shall be  102
substantially in the form prescribed in this section. If the  103
petition consists of more than one separate petition paper, the  104
H. B. No. 950  Page 5
As Introduced
statement of candidacy of the candidate or joint candidates  105
named need be signed by the candidate or joint candidates on  106
only one of such separate petition papers, but the statement of  107
candidacy so signed shall be copied on each other separate  108
petition paper before the signatures of electors are placed on  109
it. Each nominating petition containing signatures of electors  110
of more than one county shall consist of separate petition  111
papers each of which shall contain signatures of electors of  112
only one county; provided that petitions containing signatures  113
of electors of more than one county shall not thereby be  114
declared invalid. In case petitions containing signatures of  115
electors of more than one county are filed, the board of  116
elections shall determine the county from which the majority of  117
the signatures came, and only signatures from this county shall  118
be counted. Signatures from any other county shall be invalid.  119
       All signatures on nominating petitions shall be written in  120
ink or indelible pencil.  121
       At the time of filing a nominating petition, the candidate  122
designated in the nominating petition, and joint candidates for  123
governor and lieutenant governor, shall pay to the election  124
officials with whom it is filed the fees specified for the  125
office under divisions (A) and (B) of section 3513.10 of the  126
Revised Code. The fees shall be disposed of by those election  127
officials in the manner that is provided in section 3513.10 of  128
the Revised Code for the disposition of other fees, and in no  129
case shall a fee required under that section be returned to a  130
candidate.  131
       Candidates or joint candidates whose names are written on  132
the ballot, and who are elected, shall pay the same fees under  133
section 3513.10 of the Revised Code that candidates who file  134
H. B. No. 950  Page 6
As Introduced
nominating petitions pay. Payment of these fees shall be a  135
condition precedent to the granting of their certificates of  136
election.  137
       Each nominating petition shall contain a statement of  138
candidacy that shall be signed by the candidate or joint  139
candidates named in it or by an attorney in fact acting pursuant  140
to section 3501.382 of the Revised Code. Such statement of  141
candidacy shall contain a declaration made under penalty of  142
election falsification that the candidate desires to be a  143
candidate for the office named in it, and that the candidate is  144
an elector qualified to vote for the office the candidate seeks.  145
       The form of the nominating petition and statement of  146
candidacy shall be substantially as follows:  147
  "STATEMENT OF CANDIDACY  148
       I, ___________________________________ (Name of candidate  149
and any previous names used by Candidate in the last five years  150
as required under R.C. 3513.06 or 3513.271), the undersigned,  151
hereby declare under penalty of election falsification that my  152
voting residence is in ________________ __________ Precinct of  153
the _________________________ (Township) or (Ward and City, or  154
Village) in the county of _______________ Ohio; that my post-  155
office address is ____________________________ (Street and  156
Number, if any, or Rural Route and Number) of the  157
_______________________________ (City, Village, or post office)  158
of ____________________, Ohio; and that I am a qualified elector  159
in the precinct in which my voting residence is located. I  160
hereby declare that I desire to be a candidate for election to  161
the office of ______________ in the ________________________  162
(State, District, County, City, Village, Township, or School  163
District) for the ______________________________________ (Full  164
H. B. No. 950  Page 7
As Introduced
term or unexpired term ending ________________) at the General  165
Election to be held on the ___________ day of ___________, ____  166
       I further declare that I am an elector qualified to vote  167
for the office I seek. Dated this _______ day of ______________,  168
____  169
  ___________________________  170
  (Signature of candidate)  171
       WHOEVER COMMITS ELECTION FALSIFICATION IS GUILTY OF A  172
FELONY OF THE FIFTH DEGREE.  173
       I, _________________________________, hereby constitute  174
the persons named below a committee to represent me:  175
Name  Residence  176
_______________________________________________________________  177
_______________________________________________________________  178
_______________________________________________________________  179
_______________________________________________________________  180
________________________________________________________________  181
  NOMINATING PETITION  182
       We, the undersigned, qualified electors of the state of  183
Ohio, whose voting residence is in the County, City, Village,  184
Ward, Township or Precinct set opposite our names, hereby  185
nominate ____________________ as a candidate for election to the  186
office of ___________________________ in the  187
____________________________ (State, District, County, City,  188
Village, Township, or School District) for the _________________  189
(Full term or unexpired term ending ___________________) to be  190
H. B. No. 950  Page 8
As Introduced
voted for at the general election next hereafter to be held, and  191
certify that this person is, in our opinion, well qualified to  192
perform the duties of the office or position to which the person  193
desires to be elected.  194
  195
  1  2  3     4        5        6       7
A  Street
B  Address
C  or R.F.D.
D  (Must use
E  address on     City,
F  file with      Village
G  the board of   or  Date of
H      Signature    elections)     Township Ward   Precinct   County Signing
____________________________________________________________  196
____________________________________________________________  197
____________________________________________________________  198
___________________________, declares under penalty of election  199
falsification that such person is a qualified elector of the  200
state of Ohio and resides at the address appearing below such  201
person's signature hereto; that such person is the circulator of  202
the foregoing petition paper containing ________________  203
signatures; that such person witnessed the affixing of every  204
signature; that all signers were to the best of such person's  205
H. B. No. 950  Page 9
As Introduced
knowledge and belief qualified to sign; and that every signature  206
is to the best of such person's knowledge and belief the  207
signature of the person whose signature it purports to be or of  208
an attorney in fact acting pursuant to section 3501.382 of the  209
Revised Code.  210
  ___________________________  211
  (Signature of circulator)  212
  ___________________________  213
  (Address of circulator's  214
  permanent residence  215
  in this state)  216
  ___________________________  217
  (If petition is for a statewide  218
  candidate, the name and address  219
  of person employing circulator  220
  to circulate petition, if any)  221
       WHOEVER COMMITS ELECTION FALSIFICATION IS GUILTY OF A  222
FELONY OF THE FIFTH DEGREE."  223
       The secretary of state shall prescribe a form of  224
nominating petition for a group of candidates for the office of  225
member of a board of education, township office, and offices of  226
municipal corporations of under two thousand population.  227
       The secretary of state shall prescribe a form of statement  228
of candidacy and nominating petition, which shall be  229
substantially similar to the form of statement of candidacy and  230
nominating petition set forth in this section, that will be  231
H. B. No. 950  Page 10
As Introduced
suitable for joint candidates for the offices of governor and  232
lieutenant governor.  233
       If such petition nominates a candidate whose election is  234
to be determined by the electors of a county or a district or  235
subdivision within the county, it shall be filed with the board  236
of such county. If the petition nominates a candidate whose  237
election is to be determined by the voters of a subdivision  238
located in more than one county, it shall be filed with the  239
board of the county in which the major portion of the population  240
of such subdivision is located.  241
       If the petition nominates a candidate whose election is to  242
be determined by the electors of a district comprised of more  243
than one county but less than all of the counties of the state,  244
it shall be filed with the board of elections of the most  245
populous county in such district. If the petition nominates a  246
candidate whose election is to be determined by the electors of  247
the state at large, it shall be filed with the secretary of  248
state.  249
       The secretary of state or a board of elections shall not  250
accept for filing a nominating petition of a person seeking to  251
become a candidate if that person, for the same election, has  252
already filed a declaration of candidacy, a declaration of  253
intent to be a write-in candidate, or a nominating petition, or  254
has become a candidate through party nomination at a primary  255
election or by the filling of a vacancy under section 3513.30 or  256
3513.31 of the Revised Code for any federal, state, or county  257
office, if the nominating petition is for a state or county  258
office, or for any municipal or township office, for member of a  259
city, local, or exempted village board of education, or for  260
member of a governing board of an educational service center, if  261
H. B. No. 950  Page 11
As Introduced
the nominating petition is for a municipal or township office,  262
or for member of a city, local, or exempted village board of  263
education, or for member of a governing board of an educational  264
service center.  265
       Section 2. That existing sections 3513.07 and 3513.261 of  266
the Revised Code are hereby repealed.  267
       Section 3. That section 3505.02 of the Revised Code is  268
hereby repealed.  269