Section 4305.14 | Local option election on beer sales by C and D permit holders.
(A) The following questions regarding the sale of beer by holders of C or D permits may be presented to the qualified electors of an election precinct:
(1) "Shall the sale of beer as defined in section 4305.08 of the Revised Code under permits which authorize sale for off-premises consumption only be permitted within this precinct?"
(2) "Shall the sale of beer as defined in section 4305.08 of the Revised Code under permits which authorize sale for on-premises consumption only, and under permits which authorize sale for both on-premises and off-premises consumption, be permitted in this precinct?"
The exact wording of the question as submitted and form of ballot as printed shall be determined by the board of elections in the county wherein the election is held, subject to approval of the secretary of state.
Upon the request of an elector, a board of elections of a county that encompasses an election precinct shall furnish to the elector a copy of the instructions prepared by the secretary of state under division (P) of section 3501.05 of the Revised Code and, within fifteen days after the request, with a certificate indicating the number of valid signatures that will be required on a petition to hold a special election in that precinct on either or both of the questions specified in this section.
The board shall provide to a petitioner, at the time the petitioner takes out a petition, the names of the streets and, if appropriate, the address numbers of residences and business establishments within the precinct in which the election is sought, and a form prescribed by the secretary of state for notifying affected permit holders of the circulation of a petition for an election for the submission of one or more of the questions specified in division (A) of this section. The petitioner shall, not less than fifty-five days before the petition-filing deadline for an election provided for in this section, file with the division of liquor control the information regarding names of streets and, if appropriate, address numbers of residences and business establishments provided by the board of elections, and specify to the division the precinct that is concerned or that would be affected by the results of the election and the filing deadline. The division shall, within a reasonable period of time and not later than twenty-five days before the filing deadline, supply the petitioner with a list of the names and addresses of permit holders who would be affected by the election. The list shall contain a heading with the following words: "liquor permit holders who would be affected by the question(s) set forth on a petition for a local option election."
Within five days after receiving from the division the list of liquor permit holders who would be affected by the question or questions set forth on a petition for local option election, the petitioner shall, using the form provided by the board of elections, notify by certified mail each permit holder whose name appears on that list. The form for notifying affected permit holders shall require the petitioner to state the petitioner's name and street address and shall contain a statement that a petition is being circulated for an election for the submission of the question or questions specified in division (B) of this section. The form shall require the petitioner to state the question or questions to be submitted as they appear on the petition.
The petitioner shall attach a copy of the list provided by the division to each petition paper. A part petition paper circulated at any time without the list of affected permit holders attached to it is invalid.
At the time of filing the petition with the board of elections, the petitioner shall provide to the board of elections the list supplied by the division and an affidavit certifying that the petitioner notified all affected permit holders on the list in the manner and within the time required in this section and that, at the time each signer of the petition signed the petition, the petition paper contained a copy of the list of affected permit holders.
Within five days after receiving a petition calling for an election for the submission of the question or questions set forth in this section, the board of elections shall give notice by certified mail that it has received the petition to all liquor permit holders whose names appear on the list of affected permit holders filed by the petitioner. Failure of the petitioner to supply the affidavit required by this section and a complete and accurate list of liquor permit holders invalidates the entire petition. The board of elections shall provide to a permit holder who would be affected by a proposed local option election, on the permit holder's request, the names of the streets, and, if appropriate, the address numbers of residences and business establishments within the precinct in which the election is sought and that would be affected by the results of the election. The board may charge a reasonable fee for this information when provided to the petitioner and the permit holder.
Upon presentation not later than four p.m. of the ninetieth day before the day of a general or primary election, of a petition to the board of elections of the county wherein such election is sought to be held, requesting the holding of such election on either or both of the questions specified in this section, signed by qualified electors of the precinct concerned equal in number to thirty-five per cent of the total number of votes cast in the precinct concerned for the office of governor at the preceding general election for that office, such board shall submit the question or questions specified in the petition to the electors of the precinct concerned, on the day of the next general or primary election, whichever occurs first.
(B) The board shall proceed as follows:
(1) Such board shall, upon the filing of a petition under this section, but not later than the seventy-eighth day before the day of the election for which the question or questions on the petition would qualify for submission to the electors of the precinct, examine and determine the sufficiency of the signatures and review, examine, and determine the validity of such petition and, in case of overlapping precinct petitions presented within that period, determine which of the petitions shall govern the further proceedings of the board. In the case where the board determines that two or more overlapping petitions are valid, the earlier petition shall govern. The board shall certify the sufficiency of signatures contained in the petition as of the time of filing and the validity of the petition as of the time of certification as described in division (C)(1) of this section if the board finds the petition to be both sufficient and valid.
(2) If the petition contains sufficient signatures and is valid, and, in case of overlapping precinct petitions, after the board has determined the governing petition, the board shall order the holding of a special election in the precinct for the submission of the question or questions specified in the petition, on the day of the next general or primary election, whichever occurs first.
(3) All petitions filed with a board of elections under this section shall be open to public inspection under rules adopted by the board.
(C) Protest against a local option petition may be filed by any qualified elector eligible to vote on the question or questions specified in the petition or by a permit holder in the precinct as described in the petition, not later than four p.m. of the seventy-fourth day before the day of such general or primary election for which the petition qualified. Such protest shall be in writing and shall be filed with the election officials with whom the petition was filed. Upon filing of such protest the election officials with whom it is filed shall promptly fix the time for hearing it, and shall forthwith mail notice of the filing of the protest and the time for hearing it to the person who filed the petition which is protested and to the person who filed the protest. At the time and place fixed, the election officials shall hear the protest and determine the validity of the petition.
(D) If a majority of the electors voting on the question in the precinct vote "yes" on question (1) or (2) as set forth in division (A) of this section, the sale of beer as specified in that question shall be permitted in the precinct and no subsequent election shall be held in the precinct under this section on the same question for a period of at least four years from the date of the most recent election.
If a majority of the electors voting on the question in the precinct vote "no" on question (1) or (2) as set forth in division (A) of this section, no C or D permit holder shall sell beer as specified in that question within the precinct during the period the election is in effect and no subsequent election shall be held in the precinct under this section on the same question for a period of at least four years from the date of the most recent election.
Available Versions of this Section
- July 2, 2010 – House Bill 48 - 128th General Assembly [ View July 2, 2010 Version ]
- June 8, 2022 – Amended by Senate Bill 9 - 134th General Assembly [ View June 8, 2022 Version ]