Medicaid expansion ballot initiative training.

Featuring:Julie DiRossi KingDirector of Policy and Public Affairs, Ohio Association of Community Health Centers

Alyssa ChenaultCommunications Manager, UHCAN Ohio

Cindy CunninghamProgram and Policy Director, Mental Health & Addiction Advocacy Coalition

Danielle SmithExecutive Director, National Association of Social Workers of Ohio

Eric RossoPolitical Liaison, SEIU District 1199

Will Petrik State Director, Advocates for Ohio’s

Other Co-Sponsors Include: SPAN Ohio, COHHIO,

the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, and the Ohio Council of Behavioral Health & Family Services Providers

Understanding the Legal Rules of the Road

Who Can Circulate?

• A circulator must be a resident of Ohio.

• A circulator cannot have a felony conviction for which you are still on probation.

• The campaign is only asking individuals 18 years of age or older to circulate petitions.

• Voter registration status? – You are not required to be a registered voter to circulate petitions.

Statement of Circulator PageYou must complete the Statement of Solicitor Page.

Print your name.

Write the number of signatures you witnessed on the petition. It cannot be less than the total number of signatures present.

If employed for compensation during the hours you are circulating the petition, you need to put the name and address of your employer in the appropriate field.

Volunteers should leave this space blank.If you are a paid union official or staff person, fill this section out for the

entity that issues your paycheck for the time that you’ve spent circulating the petition.

Talk to your organization if you have questions.

Who Can Sign The Petition?

Only registered Ohio voters should sign the petition. This includes new registrants with completed registration form.Include these completed registration forms with petitions. Registration forms must be submitted within 10 days.

Voters must be registered in the county designated for the given petition.

Circulators should not sign their own petition (such a signature would not be valid).

How Does The Petition Get Filled Out Properly?• Each signature must be witnessed by the circulator.

• Circulators should ask every person to print legibly and sign their name.

• Signer should complete all fields other than Ward/Precinct (not required).

• If anything other than the signature is missing, circulator may fill in the appropriate information.

• Signer is to put the address at which s/he is registered.

• No P.O. Boxes.

• Signature must be in blue or black ink.

What Causes a Signature to be Invalid?• If a person is not a registered Ohio voter when petitions are

submitted.• If a person is not registered to vote at the address they’ve written on

the petition.• If the voter cannot be identified due to illegible or incomplete

information.• If the signature is ONLY printed and not signed.• If the signature is from a county other than the predominant county

on the petition (only signatures from the predominant county may be valid).

• If there is missing information.

Important Notes• The name does not have to match registration in every way.• If voter signature is John Q. Public and it is signed Johnny Public,

the signature is okay.• Dates do not need to be chronological.• Ditto marks are allowed for everything other than signature.• If someone is unsure if they signed before, they should sign.• A circulator should not knowingly allow someone to sign a petition

if they know they have already signed one.• A circulator should not disassemble a petition.• No one should make extraneous marks on the petition.

What Causes a Full Petition to be Invalid?• If the circulator statement has not been completely filled out• If the circulator statement contains an inaccurate number of net

signatures • Especially if the number of signatures on the statement is lower

than the number on the petition.• Example – You have 11 lines filled out on a petition, there are 6

crossed out. There are 5 net signatures. • If you have to make a change to that number make sure you initial

your changes.• If there are 2 or more signatures on the petition in the same

handwriting• If the circulator is convicted of a felony and is still on probation

Other Legal PointsWhat about crossing out signatures?

Circulators should ONLY allow a signature to be crossed out if:Voter changed their mindVoter wants to start overVoter mistakenly signed for someone else

What are the laws related to coercion and/or misleading information? No gifts can be exchanged for signing

State explicitly that pins, buttons, food, etc. are available to anyone regardless of whether they sign.

More Legal

• Do not make false statements about the petition – a circulator can be prosecuted for knowingly making false statements about the petition.

• Avoid answering detailed questions on the law/legalities of petition gathering. If you don’t know the answer to question just say you don’t know.

Where Can Signatures be Collected?Door to door canvassing is protected.

Public property petitioning is allowed as is consistent with existing policy and federal law.

Public parks and city sidewalks are public domain (the only time that you need a permit is if the space has been closed, such as for a festival, etc.)

Polling places are acceptable outside the flag or 100 feet from the location.

Private property -- with prior permission

Talking PointsExtending health care coverage / Medicaid:• Supports people, families and our communities.• Nearly 275,000 Ohioans will gain access to health care

coverage.

• Supports our state and our economy. • Medicaid expansion will bring in $13 billion from the

federal government into Ohio. It will help create 30,000 jobs over the next 10 years.

• Supports our county. • Share your county fact sheet.

Next Steps: First Round Signatures Needed(Deadline: The end of the year)

Next Steps: How do I get petitions, so I can start circulating?

Click here to sign up to receive petitions.

Next Steps: What do I do with my completed petitions?

• Contact Advocates for Ohio’s Future or your affiliate • Let us know how many signatures you gathered in

which county(s).

• Mail completed petitions to the SEIU 1199 office in Columbus (SEIU 1199, 1395 Dublin Road, Columbus, OH 43215)

• More details on point people/organizations and pick up / drop off locations will be listed at www.healthyohioanswork.org

Questions?