(A) Annually on the first Monday of May, one contributing member, as defined in division (D) of section 3307.05 of the Revised Code, shall be elected by ballot to the state teachers retirement board, except that, beginning with the annual election for contributing members in May, 1978, and in the annual election of each fourth year thereafter, two contributing members shall be elected to the board. Elected contributing members shall begin their respective terms of office on the first day of September following their election and shall serve for a term of four years.

(B) The retired teacher members of the board, as defined in division (E) of section 3307.05 of the Revised Code, shall be elected for a term of four years. The retired teacher members shall be elected to the board at the annual election for contributing members of the board, as provided in division (A) of this section, in the year in which the term of the current retired teacher members would expire. The retired teacher members shall begin their respective terms of office on the first day of September following their election. No contributing member of the board who retires while a member of the board shall be eligible to become a retired teacher member of the board for three years after the date of the member's retirement.

(C) Except as provided in division (E) of this section, if a vacancy occurs during the term of office of any elected member of the board, the remaining members of the board shall elect a successor member. On certification of the election results in accordance with rules adopted under section 3307.075 of the Revised Code the successor member shall hold office until the first day of the new term that follows the next board election that occurs not less than ninety days after the successor member's election, or until the end of the term for which the successor member was elected, whichever is sooner. The successor member shall qualify for board membership under the same division of section 3307.05 of the Revised Code as the member's predecessor in office. Elections under this division shall be conducted in accordance with rules adopted under section 3307.075 of the Revised Code.

(D) If as a result of changed circumstances an elected member of the board would no longer qualify for board membership under that division of section 3307.05 of the Revised Code on the basis of which the member was elected, or if such a member fails to attend the meetings of the board for four months or longer without being excused, the member's position on the board shall be considered vacant, and a successor member shall be elected under this division for the remainder of the unexpired term.

(E) A successor member need not be elected under division (C) of this section to fill a vacancy if on the day the vacancy occurs less than ninety days remain in the vacated term.

Effective Date: 11-21-1977; 09-15-2004; 08-04-2005; 04-06-2007.