SECTION I — PROGRAM STRUCTURE AND LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY 

The petition being circulated is a legally regulated referendum instrument under Ohio election law. Each petition part is a sworn legal document. 

 

When a store owner or employee signs the circulator affidavit at the bottom of a petition part, they are making a sworn statement under penalty of law that: 

• They personally witnessed every signature on that petition part. 

• Each signer signed in their presence. 

• Each signer is believed to be a qualified elector. 

• The petition part contains signatures from only one county. 

• No improper methods were used to obtain signatures. 

 

Every employee who circulates is individually legally responsible for the petition parts they sign. 

 

This is not casual activism. It is regulated election activity. 

 

SECTION II — WHO MAY SERVE AS A CIRCULATOR 

Eligible circulators in this program: 

• Store owners 

• Designated store employees who have completed training 

 

Each circulator must: 

• Understand this manual. 

• Follow the QR verification protocol. 

• Supervise every signature personally. 

• Complete and sign the circulator affidavit only for sheets they personally handled. 

 

Employees may not sign affidavits for signatures they did not witness. 

 

If multiple employees collect signatures, each must maintain separate petition parts. 

 

SECTION III — MANDATORY VOTER VERIFICATION PROTOCOL 

To protect signature validity, every signer must verify their voter registration before signing. 

 

Each store must prominently display a QR code linking directly to the official Ohio Secretary of State Voter Lookup tool. 

 

 

Required Procedure Before Signing 

1. Customer scans the QR code. 

1. Customer searches their voter registration. 

1. Customer confirms: 

1. Legal name as registered. 

1. Residential street address on file. 

1. County of registration. 

1. Active status. 

 

Only after this verification may they sign. 

 

If the voter cannot locate their record: 

• They may not sign. 

• Do not guess. 

• Do not rely on verbal confirmation alone. 

 

This eliminates the most common causes of invalidation: 

• Address mismatch 

• Nickname usage 

• Wrong county 

 

SECTION IV — UNREGISTERED VOTER PROTOCOL & REGISTRATION REMEDIATION PROCEDURE 

If an individual scans the QR code and cannot locate their voter registration record, the circulator must immediately direct them to complete voter registration before any petition activity occurs. 

 

The QR code displayed at the location shall provide two options: 

1. A link to the Ohio Secretary of State Voter Lookup tool. 

1. A direct link to Ohio’s official Online Voter Registration portal. 

 

If the individual is eligible to register online, the circulator should state: 

“You can complete your voter registration right now using the official Ohio online registration portal through this QR code. Once your registration is processed and shows as active in the system, you may return to sign the petition.” 

 

The circulator must ensure the individual: 

• Completes the online registration using their legal residential address. 

• Does not use a mailing address or P.O. Box. 

• Submits the form in full compliance with Ohio requirements. 

 

If the individual prefers a paper form, the circulator may provide an official Ohio Voter Registration Form and instruct them to complete it fully and submit it according to statutory deadlines. 

 

The circulator must clearly explain that: 

• Registration must be processed and active before signing. 

• They may not sign the petition on the same day if their registration is not currently active. 

• They must verify activation using the Secretary of State Voter Lookup tool before returning to sign. 

 

No unregistered individual may sign under any circumstances. 

 

SECTION V — RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS ENFORCEMENT 

The petition requires the address on file with the Board of Elections. 

 

This means: 

• Use the residential address. 

• Do not use mailing address. 

• Do not use P.O. Box. 

• Include apartment/unit number. 

• Write full street number. 

 

Retail environments increase the risk of rushed or incorrect entries. Circulators must carefully supervise completion of every line. 

 

If a customer says: 

“I get mail somewhere else.” 

Response: 

“The petition requires the residential address exactly as shown in the voter lookup system.” 

 

NO EXCEPTIONS. 

 

SECTION VI — COUNTY CONTROL PROTOCOL 

Each petition part must contain signatures from only one county. 

 

Operational requirements: 

• Separate binders for each county. 

• Clear labeling. 

• Confirm county through QR lookup before handing clipboard. 

• Verbally confirm county with signer. 

 

If a store serves multiple counties: 

• Maintain clearly separated petition parts. 

• Double-check county before accepting signature. 

• Conduct daily county consistency review. 

 

One out-of-county signature can invalidate the entire petition part. 

 

SECTION VII — IN-STORE SIGNATURE FLOW 

Because this occurs in a retail environment, the interaction must be controlled and professional. 

 

STEP 1 — SUPERVISED COMPLETION 

While the customer fills out the line, the circulator must ensure: 

• Signature is present. 

• Printed name matches voter lookup spelling. 

• County is correct. 

• City/Village/Township completed. 

• Full street address written. 

• Apartment/unit included if applicable. 

• Date written correctly (Month/Day/Year). 

 

NEVER ALLOW INCOMPLETE LINES. 

 

STEP 2 — CORRECTING ERRORS 

If an error is made: 

• Draw a single line through the entire entry. 

• Do not erase. 

• Do not white-out. 

• Have the voter complete a new line. 

 

Maintain document integrity. 

 

SECTION VIII — EMPLOYEE-SPECIFIC COMPLIANCE RULES 

Employees acting as circulators must: 

• Never leave the petition unattended. 

• Never allow a customer to take the petition away. 

• Never pre-fill voter information. 

• Never alter voter handwriting. 

• Never sign affidavit unless they personally witnessed all signatures. 

 

If an employee is unsure about any entry, they must escalate to the owner before completing the affidavit. 

 

Each employee should ideally maintain their own petition sheets to avoid affidavit confusion. 

 

SECTION IX — DAILY STORE COMPLIANCE CHECKLIST 

• At the end of each day: 

• Review all collected signatures. 

• Confirm no missing fields. 

• Confirm legibility. 

• Confirm no P.O. Boxes. 

• Confirm no county mixing. 

• Strike unused lines diagonally. 

• If sheet is full, complete affidavit. 

 

If sheet is partially filled, secure it and complete later under same circulator. 

 

Never allow another employee to complete an affidavit for signatures they did not witness. 

 

SECTION X — DOCUMENT SECURITY AND CHAIN OF CUSTODY 

 

Petition parts must: 

• Be stored in secured area. 

• Never be left on counter unattended. 

• Never be altered after affidavit signed. 

• Be transported in sealed envelope. 

• Be logged when transferred to central office. 

 

Maintain written chain-of-custody record: 

• Date collected 

• Circulator name 

• Store location 

• Date transferred 

 

These documents may be subject to legal scrutiny. 

 

SECTION XI — FINAL DIRECTIVE 

This program’s success depends on four non-negotiable rules: 

1. Mandatory QR voter verification. 

1. Exact residential address from voter lookup. 

1. Strict county separation. 

1. Circulator affidavit signed only by the person who witnessed signatures. 

 

If owners and employees follow this manual precisely, retail-based signature collection can produce high-validity petition parts with minimal legal risk.