2008 Ohio Election Calendar Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner 2008 June 24 Boards of elections shall advertise in newspaper(s) the places, dates, times, qualifications and methods for registration (six weeks before special election) .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................3503.12 *July 7 Deadline for voter registration for the August 5 special election (30 days before special election)...............................................................................3503.19 Last day for local option petitioners to send street listings to the Division of Liquor Control(45 days before Aug. 21 deadline for filing petitions) ..................4301.33, 4305.14 July 26 Boards of elections must provide public notice of election (10 days before special election) ..............................................................................................3501.03 Aug. 2 Applications by mail for absentee ballots for the August 5 special election must be received by noon (three days before special election) .......3509.03, 3511.02 Aug. 4 Absentee ballots may be voted in person at boards of elections until their close of business hours (one day before special election) .......................3509.03, 3511.10 Aug. 5 Special elections may be held.................................................................................................................................................................................3501.01 Aug. 6 Constitutional amendments proposed by initiative petitions to be submitted directly to the voters must be filed by this date (90 days before general election) .....................................................................................................................................................................................O. Const. II, §1a and §1b ; 3501.02 Constitutional amendments proposed by joint resolution of the General Assembly must be filed with the secretary of state by this date (90 days before general election) ..................................................................................................................................................................................................O. Const. XVI, §1; 3501.02 *Aug. 18 Last day to file petitions to organize a minor political party for presidential candidates (80 days before general election) ...................................SOS Dir. 2007-09 Aug. 20 A political party or independent candidate’s nominating committee must certify the name of a personto fill a vacancy caused by the withdrawal of a candidate by 4 p.m. (76 days before general election) ..................................................................................................................................................................................3513.31 Aug. 21 Nominating petitions of candidates in nonpartisan races must be filed by 4 p.m. (75 days before general election) .............3513.251, .253, .254, .255, .261 Nominating petitions of joint independent candidates for president/vice president must be filed by 4 p.m. (75 days before general election) ...............3513.257 Local questions and issues for the general election, including local liquor option petitions, must be certified to or filed with the boards of elections by 4 p.m. (75 days before general election) .........................................................................................................................731.28, .29, 3501.02, 4301.33, .331, .333, .334, 4305.14 Aug. 28 Boards of elections must certify the validity and sufficiency of candidates’ petitions in nonpartisan races (68 days before general election) ........................3513.263 Boards of elections must certify the validity and sufficiency of local option petitions (68 days before general election) ..............................................4301.33, .331, 4305.14 *Sep. 2 Protests against candidates’ petitions in nonpartisan races must be filed by this date (64 days before general election) ...................................................3513.263 Protests against local option petitions must be filed by 4 p.m. (64 days before general election) ........................................................................... 4301.33, .331, 4305.14 Sep. 3 Write-in candidates must file declarations of intent by 4 p.m. (62 days before general election) ..................................................................................3513.041 Sep. 5 Form of official ballots must be certifi ed by the secretary of state to boards of elections (60 days before general election) .................................................3505.01 Board of elections of the most populous county of a multicounty subdivision must certify the names of all candidates for the general election ballot to other boards of elections (60 days before general election) ............................................................................................................................................................................3505.01 Boards of elections must schedule a program for the instruction of polling place officials (within 60 days before general election) ..................................................3501.27 Sep. 8 Protests against write-in candidates must be filed by 4 p.m. (57 days before general election) .......................................................................................3513.041 Sep. 23 Boards of elections shall advertise in newspaper(s) the places, dates, times, qualifications, and methods for registration (six weeks before general election) ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................3503.12 Sep. 30 General election absentee ballots must be ready (35 days before general election) ..........................................................................................3509.01, 3511.04 *Oct. 6 Deadline for voter registration for general election (30 days before general election) .............................................................................................3503.19 Oct. 15 Corrections and challenges to precinct registration lists may be filed (20 days before general election) ............................................................................3503.24 Oct. 21 Boards of elections shall prepare precinct voter registration list (14 days before general election) ....................................................................................3503.23 Oct. 24 Deadline for political parties, groups of five or more candidates, and issue committees to file observer appointments (11 days before general election) .......3505.21 Oct. 25 Boards of elections must provide public notice of election (10 days before general election) ............................................................................................3501.03 *Oct. 27 Certifi cate to fill a vacancy on the ballot caused by the death of candidate nominated at the primary election whose name is on the general ballot in more than one county must be filed by 4 p.m. (10 days before general election) .......................................................................................................................................3513.31 Oct. 30 Certifi cate to fill a vacancy on the ballot caused by the death of an independent or nonpartisan candidate prior to October 25 (10 days before the election) must be fi led by 4 p.m. (five days before general election) .................................................................................................................................................................3513.31 Certifi cate to fill a vacancy on the ballot caused by the death of a candidate nominated at the primary election whose name is on the general ballot in one county must be filed by 4 p.m. (five days before general election) ..................................................................................................................................................................3513.31 Nov. 1 Applications by mail for absentee ballots must be received by boards of elections by noon (three days before general election) ......3509.03, .031, .08, 3511.02 Nov. 3 Absentee ballots may be voted in person at boards of elections until the close of their business hours (day before general election) ....................................3509.03 Amendments to witness and challenger appointments must be filed by 4 p.m. (day before general election) ................................................................................3505.21 Active duty militia voters may file applications in person for absentee ballots by 4 p.m. (day before general election) ..................................................................3509.031 Nov. 4 General Election Day -polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ..................................................................................................................... 3501.01, .32 Absentee ballots, other than those of out-of-country voters, must be received by the boards of elections by 7:30 p.m. ....................................................3509.05, 3511.11 Voter or voter’s minor child hospitalized because of medical emergency, voter may apply for absentee ballot until 3 p.m. ...............................................3509.08 Nov. 14 Out-of-country civilian absentee ballots must be postmarked or signed before the close of the polls on November 4 and must be received by boards of elections by this date to be counted (10 days after general election) ....................................................................3509.05 Out-of-country armed service absentee ballots must be signed on or before the close of the polls on November 4 and must be received by boards of elections by this date to be counted (10 days after general election) ................................................................................................................................................................3511.11 Nov. 15 Boards of elections may begin the official canvass of ballots (11 days after general election) ..........................................................................................3505.32 Nov. 19 Boards of elections must begin the official canvass of ballots no later than this date(15 days after general election) ..........................................................3505.32 Nov. 20 Local questions and issues for the February 3, 2009 special elections must be certified toboards of elections by 4 p.m. (75 days before special election) ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................3501.01, .02 Nov. 25 Boards of elections must complete the official canvass of ballots no later than this date (21 days after general election) ....................................................3505.32 2009 Jan. 1 Applications for absentee ballots for 2009 may be accepted (first day of the year) ...................................................................................... 3509.03, 3511.01 Jan. 4 General election ballots from 2008, except for those for federal office, may be discarded unless a court or the secretary of state orders that the ballots be preserved for a longer period of time (61 days after general election) .....................................................................................................................................................3505.31 Please note: The charter provisions in various municipalities may affect certain dates and/or requirements set forth above. Please contact your county board of elections for such information. *In some instances, the statutory deadline falls on a day when the offi ces of the secretary of state and board of elections are closed. In those instances, the deadlines are extended, pursuant to R.C. 1.14, to the next succeeding day when the offi ces are open. The preceding dates refl ect the extended deadline. Recounts and Election Contests An application for a recount must be filed not later than five days after offi cial results are declared ...........................................................................................3515.02 A petition contesting an election must be filed in the appropriate court within 15 days after the official results are declared, or within 10 days after the offi cial results of a recount are declared ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................3515.09