§ 3501.09Organization of county board

Biennially, within five days after the appointments to the board of elections are made by the
secretary of state, the members of the board shall meet and organize by selecting one of their number
as chairperson, who shall preside at all meetings. They shall, upon careful consideration of each such
person's qualifications, select a resident elector of the county, other than a member of the board, as
director, and a resident elector of the county as deputy director. All such officers shall continue in
office, at the pleasure of the board, for two years. The balloting for such officers shall commence on
the day of the convening and be taken until such organization is effected or five ballots have been
cast. The director shall first be selected by the votes of at least three members. If, after five ballots,
no person is agreed upon as director, the names of all persons voted for on the fifth ballot, together
with the names of the board members who nominated them, shall be certified to the secretary of
state, who shall designate therefrom one of such persons to serve as director, unless the secretary of
state has reason to believe that no person nominated is qualified. In this case the secretary of state
shall so state in writing to the board, and the board shall nominate other persons, in the manner in
which the original persons were nominated, and select from those nominated another person as
director. If, after five ballots, no person is agreed upon as director, the names of all persons voted for
on the fifth ballot, together with the names of the board members who nominated them, shall be
certified to the secretary of state, who shall designate therefrom one of such nominees to serve as
director and another such nominee to serve as deputy director. If the board fails to nominate another
person as director, the office shall be filled in accordance with the procedures of section 3501.16 of
the Revised Code.


The director and deputy director shall be of opposite political parties, and each such officer shall
have been nominated by a board member of the political party to which he belongs, but the board
may decide by the affirmative vote of at least three members that the services of a deputy director are
unnecessary and such deputy director then shall not be employed. After the selection of the director
and deputy director, the chairman shall be selected from the members of the board of opposite
politics to that of the director. If, upon the first ballot, no person is agreed upon as chairman, the
member of opposite politics to the director having the shortest term to serve shall be chairman, and



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shall preside at all meetings. When such organization is perfected, the director shall forthwith report
it to the secretary of state.




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