(A) The committee named in a initiative petition may prepare the argument or explanation, or both, in favor of the measure proposed, and the committee named in a referendum petition may prepare the argument or explanation, or both, against any law or section or item of law. The persons who prepare the argument or explanation, or both, in opposition to the initiated proposal, or the argument or explanation, or both, in favor of the measure to be referred shall be named by the general assembly, if it is in session, or by the governor, if the general assembly is not in session. Such argument or explanation, or both, shall not exceed three hundred words and shall be filed with the secretary of state at least eighty days prior to the date of the election at which the measure is to be voted upon.

(B)

(1) If the committee named in an initiative petition, the committee named in a referendum petition, or other persons designated under division (A) of this section fail to prepare and file their arguments or explanations by the eightieth day before the date of the election, the secretary of state shall notify the Ohio ballot board that those arguments or explanations have not been so prepared and filed. The board then shall prepare the missing arguments or explanations or designate a group of persons to prepare those arguments or explanations. All arguments or explanations prepared under this division shall be filed with the secretary of state no later than seventy-five days before the date of the election. No argument or explanation shall exceed three hundred words.

(2) If the Ohio ballot board fails to provide for the preparation of missing arguments or explanations under division (B)(1) of this section after being notified by the secretary of state that one or more arguments or explanations have not been timely prepared and filed, the positions of the four appointed members of the board shall be considered vacant, and new members shall be appointed in the manner provided for original appointments.

Effective Date: 2002 HB445 12-23-2002; 05-02-2006 .