§ 139.08. Political communications.

A.

No person shall write, print, post, or distribute, or cause to be written, printed, posted, or distributed, a notice, placard, dodger, advertisement, sample ballot, or other form of publication which is designed to promote the nomination or election or defeat of a candidate, or to promote the adoption or defeat of any issue, or to influence the voters in any election, unless there appears on such form of publication in a conspicuous place or is contained within such statement the name and residence address of the chairman or secretary of the organization issuing the same, or the person who issues, makes, or is responsible therefor, except that when such publication is issued by the regularly constituted central or executive committee of a political party, organized as provided in O.R.C. Chapter 3517, it shall be sufficiently identified if it bears the name of the committee and its chairman. No person shall knowingly print or reproduce any notice, placard, dodger, advertisement, sample ballot, or other form of publication in violation of this section.

2.

A candidate shall not be required to place his address on literature promoting his own candidacy.

B.

1.

No person shall utter or cause to be uttered, over the broadcasting facilities of any radio or television station within this State, any communication which is designed to promote the nomination or election or defeat of a candidate, or to promote the adoption or defeat of any issue, or to influence the voters in any election, unless the speaker identifies himself with his name and residence address or unless such communication identifies either the chairman or secretary of the organization responsible for the same with the name and residence address of such officer.

2.

Subsections (B)(1), (2), and (3) of this section do not apply to any communication made on behalf of a radio or television station or network by any employee of such radio or television station or network while acting in the course of his employment. Nor do subsections (B)(1), (2), and (3) of this section apply to any person who is identified by name by the station or network over which such statement is to be or was made.

3.

If the station carrying a communication falling within this subsection obtains the name and residence address of the person making the same, the station shall not be required to broadcast the name and residence address but shall keep the same on file and permit the inspection of the same for a period of six months by any person upon request at any time.

C.

No person shall use or cause to be used a false, fictitious, or fraudulent name or address in the making or issuing of a publication or communication included within the provisions of this section. No person shall knowingly print, post, publish, circulate, or distribute a written or printed false statement concerning a candidate which is designed to promote the defeat of such candidate.

D.

1.

Whoever, being a candidate or a printer, violates any of the provisions of this section shall be fined not less than seven hundred fifty dollars nor more than three thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both.

2.

Any other person violating any of the provisions of this section shall be fined not less than three hundred dollars nor more than two thousand dollars. Penalty, see § 130.99.

(Ord. 435-1989; Ord. 154-1971)