TrustVoting Atlas

(A) As used in this section:
 (1) "Political publication for or against a candidate" means a notice, placard, advertisement,
sample ballot, brochure, flyer, direct mailer, or other form of general publication that is
designed to promote the nomination, election, or defeat of a candidate.
 (2) "Political publication for or against an issue" means a notice, placard, advertisement,
sample ballot, brochure, flyer, direct mailer, or other form of general publication that is
designed to promote the adoption or defeat of a ballot issue or question or to influence the
voters in an election.
(3) "Public political advertising" means newspapers, magazines, outdoor advertising facilities,
direct mailings, or other similar types of general public political advertising, or flyers, handbills,
or other nonperiodical printed matter.
(4) "Statewide candidate" has the same meaning as in section 3517.102 of the Revised
Code.
(5) "Legislative candidate" means a candidate for the office of member of the general
assembly.
 (6) "Local candidate" means a candidate for an elective office of a political subdivision of this
state.
(7) "Legislative campaign fund" has the same meaning as in section 3517.01 of the Revised
Code.
(8) "Limited political action committee" means a political action committee of fewer than ten
members.
(9) "Limited political contributing entity" means a political contributing entity of fewer than ten
members.
 (10) "Designated amount" means one hundred dollars in the case of a local candidate or a
local ballot issue, two hundred fifty dollars in the case of a legislative candidate, or five
hundred dollars in the case of a statewide candidate or a statewide ballot issue.



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 (11) "To issue" includes to print, post, distribute, reproduce for distribution, or cause to be
issued, printed, posted, distributed, or reproduced for distribution.
 (12) "Telephone bank" means more than five hundred telephone calls of an identical or
substantially similar nature within any thirty-day period, whether those telephone calls are
made by individual callers or by recording.
 (B)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (B)(2) of this section, no entity shall do any of
the following unless the name of the entity appears in a conspicuous place on or is contained
or included within the publication, communication, or telephone call:
 (a) Issue a form of political publication in support of or opposition to a candidate or a ballot
issue or question;
(b) Make an expenditure for the purpose of financing political communications in support of
or opposition to a candidate or a ballot issue or question through public political advertising;
 (c) Utter or cause to be uttered, over the broadcasting facilities of any radio or television
station within this state, any communication in support of or opposition to a candidate or a
ballot issue or question or any communication that is designed to influence the voters in an
election;
(d) Conduct a telephone bank for the purpose of supporting or opposing a candidate or a
ballot issue or question or for the purpose of influencing the voters in an election.
 (2) A limited political action committee or limited political contributing entity may do any of the
following without including its name in the publication or communication:
 (a) Issue a form of political publication in support of or opposition to a candidate or a ballot
issue or question that does not cost in excess of the designated amount or that is not issued
in cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate, a
campaign committee, a legislative campaign fund, a political party, a political action
committee with ten or more members, a political contributing entity with ten or more members,
or a limited political action committee or limited political contributing entity that spends in
excess of the designated amount on a related or the same or similar political publication in
support of or opposition to a candidate or a ballot issue or question;
 (b) Make an expenditure that is not in excess of the designated amount in support of or
opposition to a candidate or a ballot issue or question or make an expenditure that is not
made in cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, a
candidate, a campaign committee, a legislative campaign fund, a political party, a political
action committee with ten or more members, a political contributing entity with ten or more
members, or a limited political action committee or limited political contributing entity that


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spends in excess of the designated amount in support of or opposition to the same candidate
or a ballot issue or question, for the purpose of financing political communications in support
of or opposition to that candidate or a ballot issue or question through public political
advertising.
(C) If more than one piece of printed matter or printed political communications are mailed as
a single packet, the requirements of division (B) of this section are met if one of the pieces of
printed matter or printed political communications in the packet contains the name of the
organization or entity that issues or is responsible for the printed matter or other printed
political communications.
 (D) This section does not apply to the transmittal of personal correspondence that is not
reproduced by machine for general distribution.
(E) The secretary of state, by rule, may exempt from the requirements of this section, printed
matter and certain other kinds of printed communications such as campaign buttons,
balloons, pencils, or similar items, the size or nature of which makes it unreasonable to add
an identification or disclaimer.
 (F) The disclaimer or identification described in division (B) of this section, when paid for by a
candidate, legislative campaign fund, or campaign committee, shall be identified by the words
"paid for by" followed by the name of the entity. The identification or disclaimer may use
reasonable abbreviations for common terms such as "committee."
 The disclaimer "paid political advertisement" is not sufficient to meet the requirements of this
section.
 (G)(1) No person operating a broadcast station or an organ of printed media shall broadcast
or print a paid political communication that does not contain the identification required by this
section.
(2) Division (B)(1)(c) of this section does not apply to any communications made on behalf of
a radio or television station or network by any employee of such radio or television station or
network while acting in the course of the employee's employment.
 (H)(1) No candidate or entity shall use or cause to be used a false, fictitious, or fraudulent
name or address in the making or issuing of a publication or communication included within
the provisions of this section.
 (2) No political action committee or political contributing entity shall use or cause to be used,
in the making or issuing of a publication or communication included within the provisions of
this section, a name or address that would lead a reasonable person to believe that the
publication or communication is made by or on behalf of a county political party, unless the


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political action committee or political contributing entity has obtained a written statement,
signed by the chairperson of the county political party's executive committee, granting the
political action committee or political contributing entity permission to act on behalf of or
represent the county political party.




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