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HB 950

Regards former name on declaration of candidacy, petition, ballot

136th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Tex Fischer

The bill updates candidate declaration and petition forms to include any former names used in the last five years, while tightening circulation rules and standardizing forms.

Referred to committee
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Bill Summary · HB 950

Summary of HB 950 (Ohio, 136th General Assembly)

Purpose and intent

  • The bill revises Ohio election declaration and petition forms and related filing rules.
  • It adds space on declarations of candidacy and petitions to account for former names used by candidates within the last five years.
  • It removes the requirement that a candidate’s former names appear on the ballot.
  • In essence, it standardizes and modernizes forms, clarifies circulation rules, and adjusts how former names are treated in candidacy materials.

Key provisions and changes

  • Section 3513.07 (Declaration of Candidacy and Petition Form)

    • Requires inclusion of any previous names used by the candidate in the last five years on the declaration of candidacy form.
    • Specifies the textual content of the declaration, including:
    • Candidate’s name (and any former names)
    • Voting residence and precinct details
    • Party affiliation
    • The office sought and term
    • A statement of eligibility and intent to support the party principles
    • Signature and date
    • A clause warning that election falsification is a felony (Fifth Degree)
    • The petition portion includes fields for electors to certify the candidate’s party membership and qualification.
    • Circulation: the petition must be circulated by a member of the same political party as the candidate.
    • The Secretary of State must prescribe a form suitable for joint candidates for governor and lieutenant governor.

  • Section 3513.261 (Nominating Petition Requirements)

    • A nominating petition may consist of one or more separate petition papers; the candidate’s statement of candidacy only needs to be signed on one paper, but that signing must be copied to the other papers.
    • If petition papers cover multiple counties, signatures pertain to the county where each paper is targeted; signatures from other counties on multi-county petitions are invalid.
    • All signatures must be in ink or indelible pencil.
    • Filing fees: at filing, candidates or joint candidates must pay the applicable fees as specified in the related statute (3513.10), with non-returnable disposition rules.
    • Each nominating petition must include a statement of candidacy, signed by the candidate or authorized representative, declaring the desired office and election details.
    • The petition and statement of candidacy text must mirror the form standards set forth, including the election falsification penalty clause.
    • The Secretary of State will prescribe form standards for:
    • A nominating petition for a group of candidates for certain local or district offices.
    • A joint candidates petition for governor and lieutenant governor.
    • Filing rules by jurisdiction:
    • If the petition nominates a candidate whose election is determined by a single county, file with that county’s board.
    • If multi-county within a subdivision, determine the county with the majority of signatures for filing.
    • If a district spans multiple counties but not all, file with the most populous county in that district.
    • For statewide elections, file with the Secretary of State.
    • Prohibits filing of nominating petitions if the person has already filed a declaration of candidacy, declaration to be a write-in candidate, or has become a candidate via primary nomination or vacancy fill for any conflicting office (with specified counties and offices).

  • Repeals

    • Repeals existing sections 3513.07 and 3513.261 and the defined process forms, replacing them with the amended forms and rules described above.
    • Repeals section 3505.02 of the Revised Code.

Impact and who is affected

  • Primary and general election candidates for party-nominated offices, and candidates seeking statewide, district, county, municipal, or township offices will be affected.
  • County boards of elections, the Secretary of State, and circulators/petition signatories will operate under updated forms and circulation rules.
  • The change to include former names on declarations (while removing former names from ballot display) may affect how voters identify a candidate and how candidates present themselves on paperwork versus ballots.
  • Circulation restrictions remain: petitions must be circulated by party members; multi-county petitions have county-specific signature counting rules.

Procedural and timeline notes

  • The bill outlines standard filing and petition procedures, including:
    • Format and content requirements for declarations of candidacy and nominating petitions.
    • Signature validity requirements (ink/indelible pencil).
    • Fees due at filing (non-refundable disposition per 3513.10).
    • Sequencing: declarations/petitions must be coordinated with county or state election authorities depending on the office.
  • The Secretary of State is tasked with prescribing standardized forms to implement these provisions, including forms for joint governor/lieutenant governor candidacies and for specific local offices.

Observations

  • The bill is primarily a technical update to candidate declaration and petition forms, with an emphasis on recording former names (for the last five years) and harmonizing form language for joint candidacies.
  • It preserves the penalties for election falsification and tightens circulation rules to ensure party fidelity in petition circulation.
  • Overall, it aims to streamline admin processes while clarifying how name history is presented on candidacy materials versus ballots.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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