§ 3517.21

campaign materials - election of candidate.
Effective: September 30, 2025
Legislation: House Bill 96 - 136th General Assembly


 (A) No person, during the course of any campaign for nomination or election to public office
or office of a political party, shall knowingly and with intent to affect the outcome of such
campaign do any of the following:
 (1) Serve, or place another person to serve, as an agent or employee in the election
campaign organization of a candidate for the purpose of acting to impede the conduct of the
candidate's campaign for nomination or election or of reporting information to the employee's
employer or the agent's principal without the knowledge of the candidate or the candidate's
organization;
 (2) Promise, offer, or give any valuable thing or valuable benefit to any person who is
employed by or is an agent of a candidate or a candidate's election campaign organization for
the purpose of influencing the employee or agent with respect to the improper discharge of
the employee's or agent's campaign duties or to obtain information about the candidate or the
candidate's campaign organization.
 (B) No person, during the course of any campaign for nomination or election to public office
or office of a political party, by means of campaign materials, including sample ballots, an
advertisement on radio or television or in a newspaper or periodical, a public speech, press
release, or otherwise, shall knowingly and with intent to affect the outcome of such campaign
do any of the following:
 (1) Use the title of an office not currently held by a candidate in a manner that implies that the
candidate does currently hold that office or use the term "re-elect" when the candidate has
never been elected at a primary, general, or special election to the office for which he or she
is a candidate;
(2) Make a false statement concerning the formal schooling or training completed or
attempted by a candidate; a degree, diploma, certificate, scholarship, grant, award, prize, or
honor received, earned, or held by a candidate; or the period of time during which a candidate
attended any school, college, community technical school, or institution;




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 (3) Make a false statement concerning the professional, occupational, or vocational licenses
held by a candidate, or concerning any position the candidate held for which the candidate
received a salary or wages;
(4) Make a false statement that a candidate or public official has been indicted or convicted
of a theft offense, extortion, or other crime involving financial corruption or moral turpitude;
 (5) Make a statement that a candidate has been indicted for any crime or has been the
subject of a finding by the Ohio elections commission, the secretary of state, or the Ohio
election integrity commission without disclosing the outcome of any legal proceedings
resulting from the indictment or finding;
 (6) Make a false statement that a candidate or official has a record of treatment or
confinement for mental disorder;
(7) Make a false statement that a candidate or official has been subjected to military
discipline for criminal misconduct or dishonorably discharged from the armed services;
(8) Falsely identify the source of a statement, issue statements under the name of another
person without authorization, or falsely state the endorsement of or opposition to a candidate
by a person or publication;
(9) Make a false statement concerning the voting record of a candidate or public official;
 (10) Post, publish, circulate, distribute, or otherwise disseminate a false statement
concerning a candidate, either knowing the same to be false or with reckless disregard of
whether it was false or not, if the statement is designed to promote the election, nomination,
or defeat of the candidate.
As used in this section, "voting record" means the recorded "yes" or "no" vote on a bill,
ordinance, resolution, motion, amendment, or confirmation.




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