(A) Upon receipt of any return envelope bearing the designation "Official Election Uniformed Services or Overseas Absent Voter's Ballot" prior to the eleventh day after the day of any election, the director of the board of elections shall open it but shall not open the identification envelope contained in it. If, upon so opening the return envelope, the director finds ballots in it that are not enclosed in and properly sealed in the identification envelope, the director shall not look at the markings upon the ballots and shall promptly place them in the identification envelope and promptly seal it. If, upon so opening the return envelope, the director finds that ballots are enclosed in the identification envelope but that it is not properly sealed, the director shall not look at the markings upon the ballots and shall promptly seal the identification envelope.

(B) Uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots delivered to the director not later than the close of the polls on election day shall be processed and counted in the manner provided in section 3509.06 of the Revised Code.

(C) A return envelope is not required to be postmarked in order for a uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballot contained in it to be valid. Except as otherwise provided in this division, whether or not the return envelope containing the ballot is postmarked, contains a late postmark, or contains an illegible postmark, a uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballot that is received after the close of the polls on election day through the tenth day after the election day shall be processed and counted on the eleventh day after the election day at the office of the board of elections in the manner provided in section 3509.06 of the Revised Code if the voter signed the identification envelope by the time specified in section 3511.09 of the Revised Code. However, if a return envelope containing a uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballot is so received and so indicates, but the identification envelope in it is signed after the close of the polls on election day, the uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballot shall not be counted.

(D) The following types of uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots shall not be counted:

(1) Uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots contained in return envelopes that bear the designation "Official Election Uniformed Services or Overseas Absent Voter's Ballots," that are received by the director after the close of the polls on the day of the election, and that contain an identification envelope that is signed after the time specified in section 3511.09 of the Revised Code;

(2) Uniformed services or overseas absent voter's ballots contained in return envelopes that bear that designation and that are received after the tenth day following the election.

The uncounted ballots shall be preserved in their identification envelopes unopened until the time provided by section 3505.31 of the Revised Code for the destruction of all other ballots used at the election for which ballots were provided, at which time they shall be destroyed.

Amended by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 41, §1, eff. 3/20/2019.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 359, §1, eff. 9/8/2016.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.105, SB 295, §1, eff. 8/15/2012.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.46, HB 224, §1, eff. 10/27/2011.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.40, HB 194, §1 Made subject to referendum in the Nov. 6, 2012 election. The version of this section thus amended was repealed by 129th General AssemblyFile No.105, SB 295, §1, eff. 8/15/2012.

Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.29, HB 48, §1, eff. 7/2/2010.

Effective Date: 08-28-2001; 2008 HB350 09-12-2008