OHIO LEGISLATIVE SERVICE COMMISSION
Office of Research Legislative Budget
www.lsc.ohio.gov and Drafting Office
S.B. 80 Final Analysis
134th General Assembly
Click here for S.B. 80’s Fiscal Note
Version: As Passed by the General Assembly
Primary Sponsors: Sens. Gavarone and Cirino
Effective date: September 30, 2021
Effective Date:
S. Ben Fogle, Attorney UPDATED VERSION
SUMMARY
 Requires a candidate for chief justice or justice of the Ohio Supreme Court, or a
candidate for judge of a court of appeals, who was nominated at a primary election, to
appear on the ballot at the general election with a political party designation.
 Changes the placement of those offices on the ballot.
DETAILED ANALYSIS
Party designation for judicial candidates
The act requires a candidate for chief justice or justice of the Ohio Supreme Court or
judge of a court of appeals who was nominated at a primary election to appear on the ballot at
the general election with a political party designation. Under continuing law, such a candidate
who is not affiliated with a party may file a nominating petition and appear on the general
election ballot as an independent candidate.
Judicial candidates in Ohio are nominated at party primaries in the same manner as
candidates for other offices but, under former law, no judicial candidate could have a party
designation on the ballot at the general election. The act requires Ohio Supreme Court and
court of appeals candidates to appear with a partisan designation on the general election ballot
if the candidate was nominated at a party primary election. But, under continuing law, the act
maintains the requirement that candidates for judge of a municipal court, county court, or
court of common pleas appear on the nonpartisan office ballot.1
 This version updates the effective date.
1 R.C. 3501.01, 3505.03, 3505.04, and 3513.257.
July 14, 2021
Office of Research and Drafting LSC Legislative Budget Office
Ballot order
In moving Ohio Supreme Court and court of appeals candidates to the partisan office
ballot, the act also changes the order in which those offices appear on the ballot. Under
continuing law, offices appear on the ballot in a prescribed order, with partisan offices
appearing first, then nonpartisan offices, and finally ballot issues. The act requires offices to
appear on the ballot in the following order:2
Partisan offices Nonpartisan offices
Governor and Lieutenant Governor Member of the State Board of Education
Attorney General County judicial offices
Auditor of State Municipal and township offices
Secretary of State Member of a district board of education
Treasurer of State
Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court
Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court
U.S. senator
U.S. representative
State senator
State representative
Judge of a court of appeals
County commissioner
County auditor
Prosecutor
Clerk of the court of common pleas
Sheriff
County recorder
County treasurer
County engineer
Coroner
2 R.C. 3505.03 and 3505.04.
P a g e |2 S.B. 80
As Passed by the General Assembly
Office of Research and Drafting LSC Legislative Budget Office
HISTORY
Action Date
Introduced 02-23-21
Reported, S. Local Gov’t & Elections 04-21-21
Passed Senate (24-9) 04-21-21
Reported, H. Gov’t Oversight 06-17-21
Passed House (52-37) 06-25-21
21-SB80-UPDATED-134/ks
P a g e |3 S.B. 80
As Passed by the General Assembly


Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 3501.01, 3505.03, 3505.04, 3513.257
As Reported By Senate Committee: 3501.01, 3505.03, 3505.04, 3513.257
As Passed By Senate: 3501.01, 3505.03, 3505.04, 3513.257
As Reported By House Committee: 3501.01, 3505.03, 3505.04, 3513.257
As Passed By House: 3501.01, 3505.03, 3505.04, 3513.257
As Enrolled: 3501.01, 3505.03, 3505.04, 3513.257