Candidates - qualifications - nomination.

The number of delegates to be chosen to the convention provided for by section 3523.01 of the Revised Code shall be fifty-two, to be elected from the state at large.Candidates for the office of delegate to the convention shall be citizens and residents of the state and of age. Nomination of candidates for the office of delegate shall be by petition and not otherwise. A single petition may nominate any number of candidates not exceeding the total number of delegates to be elected, and shall be signed by not less than five thousands voters. Nomination shall be without party or political designation, but the nominating petitions shall contain a statement as to each nominee, to the effect that he favors ratification, or that he opposes ratification, or that he will remain unpledged, and no nominating petition shall contain the name of any nominee whose position as stated therein is inconsistent with that of any other nominee as stated therein. No nomination shall be effective except those of the fifty-two nominees in favor of ratification, the fifty-two nominees against ratification, and the fifty-two nominees to remain unpledged, whose nominating petitions have respectively been signed by the largest number of voters, ties to be decided by lot drawn by the secretary of state. Within ten days after the petitions are filed, the secretary of state shall certify the candidates of each group to the appropriate local election authorities. All petitions and acceptances thereof shall be filed with the secretary of state not less than thirty days before the proclaimed date of the election.