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The Legislative Service Commission staff updates the Revised Code on an ongoing basis, as it completes its act review of enacted legislation. Updates may be slower during some times of the year, depending on the volume of enacted legislation.

Chapter 3523 | Amendments To United States Constitution

 
 
 
Section
Section 3523.01 | Amendment to United States constitution.
 

Whenever congress proposes an amendment to the constitution of the United States, and proposes that it be ratified by conventions in the several states, the governor shall fix, by proclamation, the date of an election for the purpose of electing the delegates to such convention. Such election may either be at a special election or may be held at the same time as a general election, but shall be held at least as soon as the next general election occurring more than three months after the amendment has been proposed by congress.

Section 3523.02 | Electing delegates to constitutional convention.
 

At an election held for the purpose of electing delegates to a convention to ratify an amendment to the constitution of the United States, all persons qualified to vote for members of the general assembly shall be entitled to vote.

Section 3523.03 | Election on amendment to Unites State constitution.
 

Except as otherwise provided in sections 3523.01 to 3523.12, inclusive, of the Revised Code, the election provided for in section 3523.01 of the Revised Code shall be conducted and the results ascertained and certified in the same manner as in the case of the election of presidential electors in this state, and all provisions of Title XXXV of the Revised Code except so far as inconsistent with sections 3523.01 to 3523.12, inclusive, of the Revised Code, are applicable to such election.

Section 3523.04 | Candidates - qualifications - nomination.
 

The number of delegates to be chosen to the convention provided for by section 3523.01 of the Revised Code shall be fifty-two, to be elected from the state at large.

Candidates for the office of delegate to the convention shall be citizens and residents of the state and of age. Nomination of candidates for the office of delegate shall be by petition and not otherwise. A single petition may nominate any number of candidates not exceeding the total number of delegates to be elected, and shall be signed by not less than five thousands voters. Nomination shall be without party or political designation, but the nominating petitions shall contain a statement as to each nominee, to the effect that he favors ratification, or that he opposes ratification, or that he will remain unpledged, and no nominating petition shall contain the name of any nominee whose position as stated therein is inconsistent with that of any other nominee as stated therein. No nomination shall be effective except those of the fifty-two nominees in favor of ratification, the fifty-two nominees against ratification, and the fifty-two nominees to remain unpledged, whose nominating petitions have respectively been signed by the largest number of voters, ties to be decided by lot drawn by the secretary of state. Within ten days after the petitions are filed, the secretary of state shall certify the candidates of each group to the appropriate local election authorities. All petitions and acceptances thereof shall be filed with the secretary of state not less than thirty days before the proclaimed date of the election.

Section 3523.05 | Form of ballot.
 

The election provided for in section 3523.01 of the Revised Code shall be by ballot, which may be separate from any ballot to be used at the same election. Such ballot shall first state the substance of the proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States. This shall be followed by appropriate instructions to the voter. It shall then contain perpendicular columns of equal width, headed respectively in plain type, "for ratification," "against ratification," and "unpledged." In the column headed "for ratification" shall be placed the names of the nominees nominated as in favor of ratification. In the column headed "against ratification" shall be placed the names of the nominees nominated as against ratification. In the column headed "unpledged" shall be placed the names of the nominees nominated as unpledged. The voter shall indicate the voter's choice by making one or more punches or marks in the appropriate spaces provided on the ballot. No ballot shall be held void because any such punch or mark is irregular in character. The ballot shall be so arranged that the voter may, by making a single punch or mark, vote for the entire group of nominees whose names are comprised in any column. The ballot shall be in substantially the following form:

PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE

CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES

Delegates to the convention to ratify the proposed amendment.

The congress has proposed an amendment to the Constitution of the United States which provides (insert here the substance of the proposed amendment).

The congress has also proposed that the said amendment shall be ratified by conventions in the states.

INSTRUCTIONS TO VOTERS

Do not vote for more than fifty-two candidates.

To vote for all candidates in favor of ratification, or for all candidates against ratification, or for all candidates who intend to remain unpledged, make a mark in the CIRCLE. If you do this, make no other mark. To vote for an individual candidate make a mark in the SQUARE at the left of the name.

For Ratification Against Ratification Unpledged

O O O

[ ] John Doe [ ] Charles Coe [ ] Daniel De Foe

[ ] Richard Doe [ ] Michael Moe [ ] Louis St Loe

All rights on the part of lists of candidates to name observers in the polling places shall be the same as those under Title XXXV of the Revised Code.

The fifty-two nominees who receive the highest number of votes shall be delegates to the convention.

Section 3523.06 | Vacancy in office of delegate.
 

If there is a vacancy in the convention caused by the death or disability of any delegate or any other cause, such vacancy shall be filled by appointment by the majority vote of the delegates comprising the group from which such delegate was elected. If the convention contains no other delegate of that group, such vacancy shall be filled by the governor.

Section 3523.07 | Meeting of delegates.
 

The delegates to the convention shall meet at the capitol on the twenty-eighth day after their election at one p.m., and shall thereupon constitute a convention to pass upon the question of whether or not the proposed amendment to the constitution of the United States shall be ratified.

Section 3523.08 | Convention powers and rules.
 

The convention shall be the judge of the election and qualification of its members, and may elect its president, secretary, and other officers and adopt its own rules.

Section 3523.09 | Convention journal.
 

The convention shall keep a journal of its proceedings in which shall be recorded the vote of each delegate on the question of ratification of the proposed amendment to the constitution of the United States. Upon final adjournment, the journal shall be filed with the secretary of state.

Section 3523.10 | Certification of ratification of amendment.
 

If the convention agrees, by vote of a majority of the total number of delegates, to the ratification of the proposed amendment to the constitution of the United States, a certificate to that effect shall be executed by the president and secretary of the convention and transmitted to the secretary of state of this state who shall transmit the certificate under the great seal of the state to the secretary of state of the United States.

Section 3523.11 | Transportation expenses of delegates.
 

Each delegate to the convention shall receive the legal rate of transportation by motor vehicle each way for mileage from and to his place of residence by the most direct route of public travel to and from the city of Columbus.

Section 3523.12 | Congress to set manner in which the convention shall be constituted.
 

If, at or about the time of submitting any amendment to the constitution of the United States, congress either in the resolution submitting such amendment or by statute prescribes the manner in which the convention shall be constituted, and does not except from such statute or resolution such states as theretofore have provided for constituting such convention, sections 3523.01 to 3523.11, inclusive, of the Revised Code shall be inoperative. The convention shall then be constituted and shall operate as the resolution or act of congress directs, and all officers of the state who by said resolution or statute are authorized or directed to take any action to constitute such a convention for this state shall act thereunder and in obedience thereto with the same effect as if acting under a statute of this state.