A. The Commissioner shall manage any referendum conducted under this chapter, and shall, under regulations adopted by the Board, arrange for the use of polling places, if necessary.

B. The Commissioner shall, at least 60 days before the date upon which a referendum is to be held, mail notice to the clerk of the circuit court in each locality where those eligible to vote in the referendum reside. The clerk of the circuit court shall post the notice and regulations on the front door or public bulletin board of the courthouse and certify the posting to the Commissioner. The Commissioner shall also give general notice of the referendum in a newspaper of general circulation in Richmond, Virginia, and shall send a notice of the referendum to a newspaper of general circulation in each area where members of the sheep industry reside, at least 60 days prior to the holding of any referendum under this chapter.

The notice shall contain the date, hours, voting places, and methods of voting in the referendum; the amount of assessment to be collected, means by which such assessment will be collected, and general purposes for how the assessments will be used; and the regulations adopted by the Board pursuant to § 3.2-112.

C. The Commissioner shall prepare and distribute in advance of the referendum all necessary ballots, certificates, and supplies required for the referendum.

D. The Commissioner shall within 10 days after the referendum, canvass and publicly declare the results of the referendum, and certify the same to the Governor and the Board.

1995, c. 691, §§ 3.1-1069, 3.1-1070; 2008, c. 860.