(A) At the time of filing a declaration of candidacy for nomination for any office, or a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate, each candidate, except joint candidates for governor and lieutenant governor, shall pay a fee as follows:

For statewide office $100

For court of appeals judge $ 50

For court of common pleas judge $ 50

For county court judge $ 50

For municipal court judge $ 50

For district office, including member of the United States house of representatives and member of the general assembly $ 50

For county office $ 50

For city office $ 20

For village office $ 10

For township office $ 10

For member of state board of education $ 20

For member of local, city, or exempted village board of education or educational service center governing board $ 10

At the time of filing a declaration of candidacy or a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor, the joint candidates shall jointly pay to the secretary of state a fee of one hundred dollars.

(B)

(1) At the same time the fee required under division (A) of this section is paid, each candidate shall pay an additional fee as follows:

For the joint candidates for governor and lieutenant governor $ 50

For statewide office $ 50

For district office, including member of the United States house of representatives and member of the general assembly $ 35

For member of state board of education $ 35

For court of appeals judge $ 30

For court of common pleas judge $ 30

For county court judge $ 30

For municipal court judge $ 30

For county office $ 30

For city office $ 25

For village office $ 20

For township office $ 20

For member of local, city,county, or exempted village board of education or educational service center governing board $ 20

(2) Whoever seeks to propose a ballot question or issue to be submitted to the electors shall pay the following fee at the time the petition proposing the question or issue is filed:

(a) If the question or issue is to be submitted to the electors throughout the entire state, twenty-five dollars;

(b) If the question or issue is to be submitted to the electors of a county or of a district that consists of all or part of two or more counties but less than the entire state, fifteen dollars;

(c) If the question or issue is to be submitted to the electors of a city, twelve dollars and fifty cents;

(d) If the question or issue is to be submitted to the electors of a village, a township, a local, city, county, or exempted village school district, a precinct, or another district consisting of less than an entire county, ten dollars.

(C) No fee shall be required of candidates filing for the office of delegate or alternate to the national convention of political parties, member of the state central committee of a political party, or member of the county central committee of a political party.

(D) All fees required under division (A) of this section immediately shall be paid by the officer receiving them into the state treasury to the credit of the general revenue fund, in the case of fees received by the secretary of state, and into the county treasury to the credit of the county general fund, in the case of fees received by a board of elections.

(E) The officer who receives a fee required under division (B) of this section immediately shall pay the fee to the credit of the Ohio elections commission fund created by division (I) of section 3517.152 of the Revised Code.

(F)

(1) In no case shall a fee paid under this section be returned to a candidate.

(2) Whenever a section of law refers to a filing fee to be paid by a candidate or by a committee proposing a ballot question or issue to be submitted to the electors, that fee includes the fees required under divisions (A) and (B) of this section.

(G) As used in divisions (A) and (B) of this section, "statewide office" means the office of secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, justice and chief justice of the supreme court, and member of the United States senate.

Effective Date: 08-24-1995; 03-31-2005 .