3503.06 Registration as elector - circulation or signing of initiative or referendum.

3503.06 Registration as elector - circulation or signing of initiative or referendum.

(A) No person shall be entitled to vote at any election, or to sign or circulate any declaration of candidacy or any nominating, or recall petition, unless the person is registered as an elector and will have resided in the county and precinct where the person is registered for at least thirty days at the time of the next election.

(B)(1) No person shall be entitled to circulate any initiative or referendum petition unless the person is a resident of this state.

(2) All election officials, in determining the residence of a person circulating a petition under division (B)(1) of this section, shall be governed by the following rules:

(a) That place shall be considered the residence of a person in which the person’s habitation is fixed and to which, whenever the person is absent, the person has the intention of returning.

(b) A person shall not be considered to have lost the person’s residence who leaves the person’s home and goes into another state for temporary purposes only, with the intention of returning.

(c) A person shall not be considered to have gained a residence in any county of this state into which the person comes for temporary purposes only, without the intention of making that county the permanent place of abode.

(d) If a person removes to another state with the intention of making that state the person’s residence, the person shall be considered to have lost the person’s residence in this state.

(e) Except as otherwise provided in division (B)(2)(f) of this section, if a person removes from this state and continuously resides outside this state for a period of four years or more, the person shall be considered to have lost the person’s residence in this state, notwithstanding the fact that the person may entertain an intention to return at some future period.

(f) If a person removes from this state to engage in the services of the United States government, the person shall not be considered to have lost the person’s residence in this state during the period of that service, and likewise should the person enter the employment of the state, the place where that person resided at the time of the person’s removal shall be considered to be the person’s place of residence.

(g) If a person goes into another state and, while there, exercises the right of a citizen by voting, the person shall be considered to have lost the person’s residence in this state.

(C) No person shall be entitled to sign any initiative or referendum petition unless the person is registered as an elector and will have resided in the county and precinct where the person is registered for at least thirty days at the time of the next election.

Effective Date: 08-22-1995; 05-02-2006