Referendum info
SB 5 Referendum Facts:
231,149 - Signatures needed to place a referendum of the law on the ballot.
1,000 - Number of signatures needed for petition language to be approved by the Attorney General and Secretary of State, before additional petitions can be circulated.
44 - Minimum number of different counties where the petition signatures need to be collected.
April 6, 2011 - Last day for the law to be passed and filed with the Secretary of State in order to be placed on the Nov 2011 ballot, rather than the Nov 2012 ballot.
July 5, 2011 - Final date for signatures if SB 5 is signed and filed with the Secretary of State by April 6. (We will have 90 days to collect signatures.)
July 26, 2011 - Final day by which the Secretary of State must determine if there are enough valid signatures to place the referendum on the ballot.
91 - If no referendum petition is filed, SB 5 goes into effect 91 days after it was signed and filed with the SOS. If a referendum is filed, the law does not go into effect until and unless Ohioans vote to allow the bill to become law.
5 - Number of members on the Ohio Ballot Board who determine ballot language once the referendum petition is accepted. The Board includes the SOS, one R and one D from the House, one R and one D from the Senate.
Ohio Referendum Procedure And Laws:
1) Create Petitioners Committee
Petitioners must designate a committee of three to five individuals to represent them in all matters relating to the petition.
Ohio Revised Code Section: 3519.02
2) File Initial Petition with Ohio Attorney General and Secretary of State
An initial written petition, signed by 1,000 Ohio registered voters, must be submitted to the Secretary of State with the full text and summary of the law or section of the law to be referred.
Within ten (10) days of receiving the petition, the Secretary of State shall verify the number of valid signatures and compare the full text of the law or section of the law with the law on file with her office. If the petition text is correct, the Secretary of State shall certify.
On the same day or within one business day before or after the petitions is filed with the Secretary of State, a copy of the petition with the full text and summary of the law or section of the law must be filed with the Attorney General.
Within ten (10) days of receiving the petition, the Attorney General will certify if he or she believes the summary to be a fair and truthful statement of the law or section of law to be referred. If the Attorney General certifies the summary, petitioners can move on to the next step. If the Attorney General does not certify the summary, petitioners may start this process over.
Ohio Constitution: Article II, Section 1c
Ohio Revised Code Sections: 3501.05; 3519.01; 3519.05;
3) Create Petitions & Gather Signatures
In order to begin gathering signatures, the petitioners must create a petition. It may be made up of part-petitions, but all separate part-petitions shall be submitted at one time as one instrument.
Each part-petition shall have the following heading: "To be submitted to the electors for their approval or rejection." This heading must be followed by a copy of the title and full text of the law or section of law to be referred.
If any individuals gathering the signatures will be paid, each individual must fill out and file Form 15 with the Secretary of State prior to circulating any petitions.
Ohio Constitution: Article II, Section 1g
Ohio Revised Code Sections: 3501.38; 3501.381; 3501.382; 3503.06; 3519.05; 3519.01
4) Signature Requirements
The total number of signatures on the petitions must equal at least six percent (6%) of the total vote cast for the office of governor at the last gubernatorial election. The Secretary of State may not accept any petition for filing which does not appear to contain the minimum number of required signatures.
The signatures must have been obtained from at least 44 of the 88 counties in Ohio. From each of these 44 counties, there must be signatures equal to at least three percent (3%) of the total vote cast for the office of governor in that county at the last gubernatorial election.
Each petition-signer must be a qualified elector of the state of Ohio and each petition must contain signatures of electors from only one county. If a petition contains signatures from electors in more than one county, the Secretary of State will determine which county has the majority of signatures and only the signatures from that county will be counted.
Ohio Constitution:
Article II, Section 1c;
Article II, Section 1g
Ohio Revised Code Section: 3519.14; 3519.10
5) Filing Deadline and Filing Fee
The petitions must be filed with the Secretary of State within ninety (90) days after the law or section of law to be referred has been filed with the Secretary of State by the Governor.
Any referendum petition filed after 125 days before the next election will be placed on the ballot at the regular or general election that occurs over a year later.
A twenty-five dollar ($25) filing fee must be paid at the time of filing.
Petitions may not be withdrawn once they are filed with the Secretary of State.
Ohio Constitution: Article II, Section 1c; Article II, Section 1g
Ohio Revised Code Sections: 3513.10; 3501.05
6) Ohio General Assembly
If the petition is found to be valid, the law or section of law will not go into effect until and unless it is approved by a majority of the voters at the first regular or general election which occurs at least 125 days after the petition is filed.
Ohio Constitution: Article II, Section 1c; Article II, Section 1g
7) Signature Verification and Supplemental Petition
The Secretary of State shall determine the sufficiency of the signatures not later than one hundred five (105) days before the election.
If the signatures are determined to be insufficient, ten additional days shall be allowed for the filing of additional signatures to such petition.
If additional signatures are filed, the Secretary of State shall determine the sufficiency of those additional signatures not later than sixty-five (65) days before the election.
Ohio Constitution: Article II, Section 1g
8) Signature or Petition Challenges
The Ohio Supreme Court has original, exclusive jurisdiction over any and all challenges made to petitions or individual signatures.
Any challenge to original petitions or signatures must be filed not later than ninety-five (95) days before the election. The Supreme Court will rule on these challenges not later than eighty-five (85) days before the election. If the court does not rule prior to the 85th day before the election, the original signatures will be deemed sufficient.
Any challenge to additional or supplemental signatures must be filed not later than fifty-five (55) days before the election. The Supreme Court will rule on any challenges not later than forty-five (45) days before the election. If the court does not rule prior to the 45th day before the election, those additional signatures will be deemed sufficient and referendum will then go to the Ohio Ballot Board who will meet to determine the ballot language and arguments for or against the referendum.
If the court determines that the petitioners do not have enough signatures the petition, the referendum will not move forward and will not be placed on the ballot.
Ohio Constitution: Article II, Section 1g
9) Ballot Arguments
The committee named on the petition may prepare and file an argument and/or explanation in favor of the proposed referendum not later than the eightieth (80) day before the election.
If the committee fails to prepare or timely file the argument and/or explanation, the Secretary of State shall notify the Ohio Ballot Board. The Ohio Ballot Board shall prepare or designate a group to prepare the argument and/or explanation. The argument and/or explanation must be filed with the Secretary of State not later than seventy-five (75) days before the election.
The argument and/or explanation in favor of the law or section of law being referred is prepared by persons named by the General Assembly, if in session, or if not in session, by the Governor. The argument and/or explanation must be filed with the Secretary of State not later than eighty (80) days before the election.
The argument and/or explanation may not exceed 300 words. Once ballot language is determined, it is advertised statewide and voted on my all eligible Ohio voters.
Ohio Constitution: Article II, Section 1g; Article XVI, Section 1
Ohio Revised Code Section: 3519.03
10) Effective Date
The General Assembly's law does not go into effect until it has been submitted to and passed by the voters. Therefore, if a majority of voters approves the law, it will go into effect on the regular or general election day.
Ohio Constitution: Article II, Section 1c
posted by Kathie Bracy at 10:55 PM
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