OH Presidential Ballot Access
Ohio Presidential Ballot Access Requirements
State-level general-election presidential ballot access requirements for Ohio, including party nomination, petition access, and write-in rules where available in the NASS summary.
Party Nomination
Political Party Nomination
A presidential candidate nominated by a political party may be placed on the general election ballot. Major political parties must certify to the secretary of state on or before the 90th day before the election names of the candidates for president and vice-president. Major parties must nominate presidential electors no later than 40 days prior to the general election and must certify the names of the electors to the secretary of state within 5 days. Minor parties must certify to the secretary of state on or before the 90th day before the election the names of the candidates for president and vice-president and the names of the presidential electors. Note: Ohio 2024 Special Session law (HB2) provides the following for the 2024 election: A major political party shall certify to the Secretary of State in writing the names of its candidates for president and vice-president nominated by its national convention pursuant to section 3505.10 of the Revised Code not later than the sixty -fifth day before the 2024 general election. A political party is any party whose candidate for governor or nominees for presidential electors at the most recent general election received at least 5% of the entire vote cast for that office. A group may also obtain political party status by petition (Ohio Secretary of State Directive 2007-09).
Petition Access
Petition / Independent Candidate Access
An independent presidential candidate may obtain ballot access for the general election by filing with the secretary of state no later than the 90th day before the general election a petition containing the signatures of at least 5,000 qualified electors. The candidate must file a statement of candidacy and the names of presidential electors with the petition.
Write-In
Write-In Rules
A write-in candidate for president must file a declaration of intent and a list of presidential electors with the secretary of state no later than the 72nd day before the election.
Legal Citations
Source Citations
- Ohio Rev. Code Ann. §§ 3505.10, 3513.11, 3513.041, 3513.257, 3517.01
Source and Use
How to Read This Ballot Access Data
This reference is generated from NASS Summary: State Laws Regarding Presidential Ballot Access for the General Election.
- Primary source
- NASS ballot access summary PDF
- Coverage
- General-election presidential ballot access requirements by state, as summarized by NASS.
- Use note
- Informational reference only; verify current law with the state election office, current statutes, and legal counsel.
- These entries summarize general-election presidential ballot access rules for political party nominees, petition candidates, fee access where listed, and write-in candidacies.
- Ballot access law can change through statutes, court decisions, and state election guidance. Verify requirements with the state election office before relying on them.
- This reference does not state whether any candidate has qualified for a state ballot.
- This page is informational and is not legal advice or a filing procedure guide.