Section 3505.23 | Time limit for occupying voting compartment - errors in voting - marking ballot.
Except as otherwise provided in this section, no voter shall be allowed to occupy a voting compartment or use a voting machine more than ten minutes when all the voting compartments or machines are in use and voters are waiting to occupy them. The ten-minute time limit shall not apply to any person who requires the use of an accessible voting machine as required under the "Help America Vote Act of 2002," 116 Stat. 1704, 42 U.S.C. 15481.
Except as otherwise provided by section 3505.24 of the Revised Code, no voter shall occupy a voting compartment or machine with another person or speak to anyone, nor shall anyone speak to the voter, while the voter is in a voting compartment or machine.
In precincts that do not use voting machines the following procedure shall be followed:
If a voter tears, soils, defaces, or erroneously marks a ballot the voter may return it to the precinct election officials and a second ballot shall be issued to the voter. Before returning a torn, soiled, defaced, or erroneously marked ballot, the voter shall fold it so as to conceal any marks the voter made upon it, but the voter shall not remove Stub A therefrom. If the voter tears, soils, defaces, or erroneously marks such second ballot, the voter may return it to the precinct election officials, and a third ballot shall be issued to the voter. In no case shall more than three ballots be issued to a voter. Upon receiving a returned torn, soiled, defaced, or erroneously marked ballot the precinct election officials shall detach Stub A therefrom, write "Defaced" on the back of such ballot, and place the stub and the ballot in the separate containers provided therefor.
No elector shall leave the polling place until the elector returns to the precinct election officials every ballot issued to the elector with Stub A on each ballot attached thereto, regardless of whether the elector has or has not placed any marks upon the ballot.
Before leaving the voting compartment, the voter shall fold each ballot marked by the voter so that no part of the face of the ballot is visible, and so that the printing thereon indicating the kind of ballot it is and the facsimile signatures of the members of the board of elections are visible. The voter shall then leave the voting compartment, deliver the voter's ballots, and state the voter's name to the precinct election official having charge of the ballot box, who shall announce the name, detach Stub A from each ballot, and announce the number on the stubs. The precinct election officials in charge of the poll lists or poll books shall check to ascertain whether the number so announced is the number on Stub B of the ballots issued to such voter, and if no discrepancy appears to exist, the precinct election official in charge of the ballot box shall, in the presence of the voter, deposit each such ballot in the ballot box and shall place Stub A from each ballot in the container provided therefor. The voter shall then immediately leave the polling place.
No ballot delivered by a voter to the precinct election official in charge of the ballot box with Stub A detached therefrom, and only ballots provided in accordance with Title XXXV of the Revised Code, shall be voted or deposited in the ballot box.
In marking a presidential ballot, the voter shall record the vote in the manner provided on the ballot next to the names of the candidates for the offices of president and vice-president. Such ballot shall be considered and counted as a vote for each of the candidates for election as presidential elector whose names were certified to the secretary of state by the political party of such nominees for president and vice-president.
In marking an office type ballot or nonpartisan ballot, the voter shall record the vote in the manner provided on the ballot next to the name of each candidate for whom the voter desires to vote.
In marking a primary election ballot, the voter shall record the vote in the manner provided on the ballot next to the name of each candidate for whom the voter desires to vote. If the voter desires to vote for the nomination of a person whose name is not printed on the primary election ballot, the voter may do so by writing such person's name on the ballot in the proper place provided for such purpose.
In marking a questions and issues ballot, the voter shall record the vote in the manner provided on the ballot at the left or at the right of "YES" or "NO" or other words of similar import which are printed on the ballot to enable the voter to indicate how the voter votes in connection with each question or issue upon which the voter desires to vote.
In marking any ballot on which a blank space has been provided wherein an elector may write in the name of a person for whom the elector desires to vote, the elector shall write such person's name in such blank space and on no other place on the ballot. Unless specific provision is made by statute, no blank space shall be provided on a ballot for write-in votes, and any names written on a ballot other than in a blank space provided therefor shall not be counted or recorded.
Last updated March 10, 2023 at 12:12 PM
Available Versions of this Section
- June 26, 2013 – Senate Bill 109, Senate Bill 10 - 130th General Assembly [ View June 26, 2013 Version ]
- April 6, 2023 – Amended by House Bill 281 - 134th General Assembly [ View April 6, 2023 Version ]