The bill amends several sections of the Revised Code to require that candidates for state and school district board positions appear on the ballot with a party designation. It introduces new language mandating that candidates' names be accompanied by the name of the political party that nominated them or a designation indicating their status as a nonparty or other-party candidate. This change is intended to enhance transparency in the electoral process by clearly identifying candidates' political affiliations. Additionally, the bill removes references to certain positions, such as members of the state board of education and members of boards of education, from the list of offices that do not require party designations.

Moreover, the bill revises the election process for nonpartisan candidates, particularly for judicial and educational board positions, by removing references to the state board of education from the nonpartisan ballot. It establishes new requirements for nominating petitions, including the necessity for candidates to indicate their political party designation. The bill also introduces procedures for nonpartisan primary elections for educational boards, allowing boards to adopt these procedures by a three-fifths majority vote. Overall, the changes aim to streamline the election process, clarify candidate requirements, and improve voter awareness of political affiliations.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 3501.01, 3505.03, 3505.04, 3513.254, 3513.255, 3513.256, 3513.259