Ohio Code 3501.35 – No loitering or congregating near polling places
(A) During an election and the counting of the ballots, no person shall do any of the following:
Terms Used In Ohio Code 3501.35
- Another: when used to designate the owner of property which is the subject of an offense, includes not only natural persons but also every other owner of property. See Ohio Code 1.02
- Person: includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association. See Ohio Code 1.59
- United States: includes all the states. See Ohio Code 1.59
(1) Loiter, congregate, or engage in any kind of election campaigning within the area between the polling place and the small flags of the United States placed on the thoroughfares and walkways leading to the polling place, and if the line of electors waiting to vote extends beyond those small flags, within ten feet of any elector in that line;
(2) In any manner hinder or delay an elector in reaching or leaving the place fixed for casting the elector’s ballot;
(3) Give, tender, or exhibit any ballot or ticket to any person other than the elector’s own ballot to the precinct election officials within the area between the polling place and the small flags of the United States placed on the thoroughfares and walkways leading to the polling place, and if the line of electors waiting to vote extends beyond those small flags, within ten feet of any elector in that line;
(4) Exhibit any ticket or ballot which the elector intends to cast;
(5) Solicit or in any manner attempt to influence any elector in casting the elector’s vote.
(B)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (B)(2) of this section and division (C) of section 3503.23 of the Revised Code, no person who is not an election official, employee, observer, or police officer shall be allowed to enter the polling place during the election, except for the purpose of voting or assisting another person to vote as provided in section 3505.24 of the Revised Code.
(2) Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, a journalist shall be allowed reasonable access to a polling place during an election. As used in this division, “journalist” has the same meaning as in division (B)(2) of section 2923.129 of the Revised Code.
(C) No more electors shall be allowed to approach the voting shelves at any time than there are voting shelves provided.
(D) The precinct election officials and the police officer shall strictly enforce the observance of this section.