CIRCULATION OF INITIATIVE OR REFERENDUM PETITION REGULATION

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland pt. ONE, tit. I, ch. 110A

in effect

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 110A.01 Itemized Statement by Circulator of Petition

§ 110A.01 Itemized Statement by Circulator of Petition (a) The circulator of an initiative or referendum petition, or his or her agent, shall, within five (5) days after such petition is filed with the Clerk of Council, file an itemized statement, made under penalty of election falsification, showing in detail: (1) All moneys or things of value paid, given, or promised for circulating such petition; (2) Full names and addresses of all persons to whom such payments or promises were made; (3) Full names and addresses of all persons who contributed anything of value to be used in circulating such petitions; and (4) Time spent and salaries earned while circulating or soliciting signatures to petitions by persons who were regular salaried employees of some person who authorized them to solicit signatures for or circulate the petition as a part of their regular duties. (b) The statement provided for in division (a) of this section shall not be required from persons who take no other part in circulating a petition than signing declarations to parts of the petition and soliciting signatures to them. (c) Such statement shall be open to public inspection for a period of one (1) year. (Ord. No. 854-17. Passed 11-20-17, eff. 11-21-17)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 110A.02 Prohibited Practices Relative to Petitions

§ 110A.02 Prohibited Practices Relative to Petitions No person shall, directly or indirectly: (a) Willfully misrepresent the contents of any initiative or referendum petition; (b) Pay or offer to pay any elector anything of value for signing an initiative or referendum petition; (c) Promise to help another person to obtain appointment to any office provided for by the constitution or laws of the State of Ohio or by the ordinances of the City of Cleveland or any municipal corporation, or to any position or employment in the service of the State of Ohio or any political subdivision thereof, including the City of Cleveland, as a consideration for obtaining signatures to an initiative or referendum petition; (d) Obtain signatures to any initiative or referendum petition as a consideration for the assistance or promise of assistance of another person in securing an appointment to any office or position provided for by the constitution or laws of the State of Ohio or by the ordinances of any municipal corporation therein, including the City of Cleveland, or employment in the service of the State of Ohio or any subdivision thereof, including the City of Cleveland; (e) Alter, add to, or erase any signatures or names on the parts of a petition after such parts have been filed with the Clerk of Council; (f) Fail to file the sworn itemized statement required in Section 110A.01; (g) Accept anything of value for signing an initiative or referendum petition; or (h) By intimidation or threats, influence or seek to influence any person to sign or abstain from signing, or to solicit signatures to or abstain from soliciting signatures to an initiative or referendum petition. (Ord. No. 854-17. Passed 11-20-17, eff. 11-21-17)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 110A.99 Penalty

§ 110A.99 Penalty (a) Whoever violates Section 110A.02(a) through (f) shall be fined not less than one hundred dollars ($100.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500.00). (b) Whoever violates Section 110A.02(g) shall be fined not more than twenty-five dollars ($25.00). (c) Whoever violates Section 110A.02(h) is guilty of a minor misdemeanor. (Ord. No. 854-17. Passed 11-20-17, eff. 11-21-17)

Source: City of Cleveland, Ohio, Codified Ordinances and City Charter (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/cleveland/latest/cleveland_oh/0-0-0-1696Fetched: 11/1/2026