(A) Except as otherwise provided in this division, the nomination or election of any person to any public office or party position or the approval or rejection of any issue or question, submitted to the voters, may be contested by qualified electors of the state or a political subdivision. The nomination or election of any person to any federal office, including the office of elector for president and vice president and the office of member of congress, shall not be subject to a contest of election conducted under this chapter. Contests of the nomination or election of any person to any federal office shall be conducted in accordance with the applicable provisions of federal law.

(B) In the case of an office to be filled or an issue to be determined by the voters of the entire state, or for judicial offices higher than that of court of common pleas, or for an office to be filled or an issue to be determined by the voters of a district larger than a county, a contest shall be heard and determined by the chief justice of the supreme court or a justice of the supreme court assigned for that purpose by the chief justice; except that, in a contest for the office of chief justice of the supreme court, the contest shall be heard by a justice of the supreme court designated by the governor.

(C) In the case of all other offices or issues, except judicial offices, contests shall be heard and determined by a judge of the court of common pleas of the county in which the contest arose. In the case of a contest for a judicial office within a county, the contest shall be heard by the court of appeals of the district in which that county is located. If any contestant alleges prejudice on the part of the judges of the court of appeals or the court of common pleas assigned to hear a contest, the chief justice of the supreme court, upon application of any such contestant and for good cause shown, may assign judges from another court to hear the contest.

Effective Date: 10-01-1953; 05-02-2006 .