The Green Papers: Ohio State and Local Government

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Governor:1
Senators: 2 (Electoral Classes 1 and 3)
2020 Census: 11,808,848 (3.56% of 331,797,979
- 2024, 2028 Electors: 17 (3.16% of 538)
- 2022-2030 Representatives: 15 (3.45% of 435)
2010 Census: 11,568,495 (3.73% of 309,785,186)
- 2012, 2016, 2020 Electors: 18 (3.35% of 538)
- 2012-2020 Representatives: 16 (3.68% of 435)
Capital: Columbus

Current Ohio Statewide Office Holders

Official Name/Status All States

The STATE of Ohio
Status: STATE of the Union
Organized as a Territory: 13 July 1787. Organized as "The Territory Northwest of the River Ohio" (informally, the "Northwest Territory")-- the first U.S. Territory and the only Territory formally authorized by the Congress which operated under the Articles of Confederation. An Act of Congress of 7 August 1789 (1 Stat. 50) brought the governance of this Territory into fullest compliance with the new Constitution of the United States.
[NOTE: Virginia was the last of the States with land claims in this area to agree to cede said claims (it was this that allowed Maryland, which had objected to all such claims, to become the 13th and final State to ratify the Articles of Confederation, 1 March 1781); the Confederation Congress formally accepted Virginia's terms re: said cession (that the lands be ceded to the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA as an entity in and of itself) on 1 March 1784: technically, then, this is the actual date upon which the lands northwest of the Ohio River first became the very first "U.S. Territory"]
Admitted to the Union as a State: 1 March 1803 by an Act of Congress of 19 February 1803 (2 Stat. 201) apparently recognizing a State government already formed. [NOTE: The 1 March 1803 date of Admission to Statehood has only been official since the adoption of the Bender Ohio Statehood Act of 7 August 1953; prior to this, it appears that historians had generally accepted a Statehood date of 29 November 1802, although Ohio itself seems to have regarded 1803 as the year it had become a State, hence the apparent need for the 1953 legislation (please see the essay entitled 'Clearing up the Confusion surrounding OHIO's Admission to Statehood' for further exposition)]
The 17th state.

Traditional Sections and Regions All States

Section: MIDWEST
Region: Great Lakes
Survey: Public Domain

Constitutions All States Links to State Constitutions

Enabling Act (of the Congress of the United States): 30 April 1802 [2 Stat. 173: authorizing the formation of a State government and Admission thereafter (further explanation is available in the essay entitled 'Clearing up the Confusion surrounding OHIO's Admission to Statehood')]
- 1st (1803-1851) [Adopted: 29 November 1802 Convention convened, 1 November 1802, Ratified: 29 November 1802 not submitted to the People; effective upon Admission, 19 February (1 March) 1803]
- 2nd (1851-) [Adopted: 10 March 1851 Convention convened, 6 May 1850, Ratified: 17 June 1851 ratified by a vote of 126,663 to 109,699; effective, 1 September 1851]

Executive Branch All States

Chief Executive
- GOVERNOR
Successor to a Vacancy
- Lieutenant Governor [elected on same ticket with GOVERNOR; nominated with Governor as well]

Major Executive Officers Elected Statewide All States
- Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2018, 2022. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
- Lieutenant Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2018, 2022. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms. Elected on a ticket with the Governor. No separate primaries for Gov and Lt Gov.
- Secretary of State: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2018, 2022. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
- Attorney General: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2018, 2022. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
- Treasurer: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2018, 2022. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
- Auditor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2018, 2022. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms

Legislative Branch All States

Legislature
- GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Upper House
- Senate
Lower House
- House of Representatives

Judicial Branch All States

Court of Last Resort
- Supreme Court
Intermediate Appellate Court
- Courts of Appeals [IN: district FOR: County]

Local Government All States

PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION All States
- county [Type: Broad, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
  - MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    - township [Type: Limited, Executive and Legislative: Board of Trustees]

Statutory Election Information All States

General Election All States
- Tuesday next after 1st Monday in November
  (State and County elective officals chosen in even-numbered years;
  local elective officials chosen in odd-numbered years)
  [OH Constitution: Article XVII, Section 1]
Presidential Primary All States
- (--2011) at the same time as the State Primary (Tuesday next after 1st Monday in March) in Presidential Election years
  [OH Revised Code 3513.12]
- (2011-2011) Primary elections shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in May ... [OH Revised Code 3501.01 (E) (1)] ... presidential primary elections are included in references to primary elections... [OH Revised Code 3501.01 (E) (2)] ... At a presidential primary election ... delegates ... to the national conventions ... shall be chosen ... [OH Revised Code 3513.12]
- (2011-2012) On June 12, 2012, a primary election shall be conducted for the purpose of nominating candidates for the offices of President and Vice-President of the United States ... candidates for at-large delegate and alternate to the national convention of a major political party, and candidates for district delegate and alternate to the national convention of a major political party. [HB 319 Section 3 (2)]
- (2012-2012) In the year 2012 a single primary election shall be conducted on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March for the purpose of nominating candidates for all offices that are scheduled for election in 2012... [Section 3501.02 of the Revised Code]
- (2015-2019) ... a presidential primary election, which shall be held on the second Tuesday after the first Monday in March in the year 2016, and similarly in every fourth year thereafter ... [OH Revised Code 3513.12]
- (2019--) In years in which a presidential primary election is held, all primary elections shall be held on the third Tuesday after the first Monday in March .... [OH Revised Code 3501.01 (E)(2)]
State Primary All States
- (--2011) Tuesday next after 1st Monday in May of non-Presidential Election years;
  Tuesday next after 1st Monday in March of Presidential Election years
  [OH Revised Code 3513.01(A)]
- (2011-2011) ... first Tuesday after the first Monday in May of every other year ...
  [OH Revised Code 3513.01(A)]
- (2011-2015) ... On March 6, 2012, a primary election shall be conducted for the purpose of nominating candidates for all offices that are scheduled for election in 2012 ... except candidates for the offices of President and Vice-President of the United States, candidates for the office of member of the United States House of Representatives, candidates for at-large delegate and alternate to the national convention of a major political party, and candidates for district delegate and alternate to the national convention of a major political party. [HB 319 Section 3 (1)]
  ... On June 12, 2012, a primary election shall be conducted for the purpose of nominating candidates for the offices of President and Vice-President of the United States, candidates for the office of member of the United States House of Representatives, candidates for at-large delegate and alternate to the national convention of a major political party, and candidates for district delegate and alternate to the national convention of a major political party. [HB 319 Section 3 (2)]
- (2012-2012) In the year 2012 a single primary election shall be conducted on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March for the purpose of nominating candidates for all offices that are scheduled for election in 2012... [Section 3501.02 of the Revised Code]
- (2015-2019) ... on the second Tuesday after the first Monday in March of 2016 and every fourth year thereafter, and on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in May of every other year, primary elections shall be held for the purpose of nominating persons as candidates of political parties for election to offices to be voted for at the succeeding general election. [OH Revised Code 3513.01(A)]
- (2019--) Primary elections shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in May of each year except in years in which a presidential primary election is held. [OH Revised Code 3501.01 (E)(1)] ... In years in which a presidential primary election is held, all primary elections shall be held on the third Tuesday after the first Monday in March ... [OH Revised Code 3501.01 (E)(2)]
Polling times All States
- Polls open: 6:30 AM local time
  Polls close: 7:30 PM local time
  [OH Revised Code 3501.32]

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State and Local Government Outline

Modified .