The governing body of any county which has adopted the county manager form of government, as provided in Chapter 368 of the Acts of 1932, at an election held for that purpose pursuant to the provisions of said chapter, may by resolution petition the circuit court of the county requesting that a referendum be held on the following questions: (i) Shall the board of supervisors be elected solely by the qualified voters of each magisterial or election district, or by the qualified voters of the county at large? (ii) Shall the board have in addition to the members from each magisterial or election district, one member from any district elected from and representing the county at large? The court, by order entered of record in accordance with § 24.2-684, shall require the regular election officials on a day fixed in such order to open the polls and take the sense of the qualified voters of the county on the questions submitted as herein provided. The clerk of the circuit court of the county shall cause a notice of such referendum election to be published once a week for three consecutive weeks in a newspaper published or having a general circulation in the county and shall post a copy of such notice at the door of the courthouse of the county. The ballot used shall be printed to read as follows:

Shall the board of supervisors be elected by the qualified voters of each magisterial or election district, or by the qualified voters of the county at large?

[ ] By the qualified voters of each magisterial or election district.

[ ] By the qualified voters of the county at large.

Shall the board have in addition to the members for each magisterial or election district, one member from any district elected from and representing the county at large?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

The ballots shall be marked in accordance with the provisions of § 24.2-684.

The ballots shall be counted, returns made and canvassed as in other elections, and the result certified by the electoral board to the circuit court of the county. The circuit court shall enter of record the fact of which method of election of supervisors has been chosen by a majority of the qualified voters participating in such referendum election, and an election for members of the board by such method in that county shall be held at the next regular November election of such officers, and every four years thereafter.

In any election pursuant to Chapter 3 (§ 15.2-300 et seq.), the questions provided for in this section shall be submitted to the voters, in addition to the question or questions required by § 15.2-301.

1966, c. 531, § 15.1-623.1; 1975, c. 517; 1982, c. 32; 1997, c. 587.