2006 Code of Virginia § 4.1-121 - Referendum on establishment of government stores

4.1-121. Referendum on establishment of government stores.

A. The qualified voters of any county, city, or town having a population of1,000 or more may file a petition with the circuit court of the county orcity, or of the county wherein the town or the greater part thereof issituated, asking that a referendum be held on the question of whether thesale by the Board of Alcoholic Beverages, other than beer and wine notproduced by farm wineries, should be permitted within that jurisdiction. Thepetition shall be signed by qualified voters equal in number to at least tenpercent of the number registered in the jurisdiction on January 1 precedingits filing or by at least 100 qualified voters, whichever is greater. Uponthe filing of a petition, the court shall order the election officials of thecounty, city, or town, on the date fixed in the order, to conduct areferendum on the question. The clerk of the circuit court shall publishnotice of the referendum in a newspaper of general circulation in the county,city, or town once a week for three consecutive weeks prior to the referendum.

The question on the ballot shall be:

"Shall the sale by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board of alcoholicbeverages, other than beer and wine not produced by farm wineries, bepermitted in ................ (name of county, city, or town)?"

The referendum shall be ordered and held and the results certified asprovided in 24.2-684. Thereupon the court shall enter of record an ordercertified by the clerk of the court to be transmitted to the Board and to thegoverning body of the county, city, or town.

B. Once a referendum has been held, no other referendum on the same questionshall be held in the county, city, or town within four years of the date ofthe prior referendum. However, a town shall not be prescribed from holding areferendum within such period although an election has been held in thecounty in which the town or a part thereof is located less than four yearsprior thereto.

(Code 1950, 4-45; 1954, c. 221; 1974, c. 399; 1975, c. 517; 1977, c. 683;1980, cc. 541, 543; 1984, c. 200; 1993, c. 866.)