Chap. 726.—An ACT to take the sense of the people upon the call of a conven-
tion to revise and amend the constitution.

Approved March 4, 1896.

Whereas it is represented to the general assembly of Virginia
that a portion of the people of this commonwealth are desirous of
amending the constitution of this state:

1. Be it therefore enacted, That it shall be the duty of the officers
authorized to conduct the elections within this commonwealth, on
the fourth Thursday in May, eighteen hundred and ninety-seven, at
the polling places in the counties, cities and towns of the state, to
open polls for the purpose of taking the sense of the people upon
this question, “ Shall! there be a convention to revise the constitution
and amend the same?” and all persons qualified to vote for the mem-
bers of the general assembly shall be permitted to vote thereon.

The polls to be opened shall contain two columns, and shall be
headed on the one side of the poll-book thus: ‘“ Shall there be a con-
vention to revise the constitution and amend the same?—convention :
no convention.”

2. It shall be the duty of the judges of the election at each polling
place to receive, canvass, count, certify and return the votes and
poll-books at such election separately, as provided by law for elec-
tions of members of the general assembly, and they shall put said
poll-books under cover, seal the same, and deliver them to the clerks
of the county and corporation courts in which said elections are
held on the day following such election.

3. The board of commissioners of elections in each and all of said
counties, cities and towns shall, on the second day after such elec-
tions (Sunday excepted), meet at the clerk’s office of the county or
corporation for which they are appointed, and proceed to canvass and
certify the same as provided by law for general elections in this
state ; and thereupon the clerk of said board shall transmit the result
thereof, duly certified as provided by law, to the secretary of the
commonwealth at Richmond, and the secretary of the commonwealth
shal] deliver the same to the speaker of the house of delegates on
the first day of the next general or special session of the general as-
sembly, to be by him laid before the general assembly at that ses-
sion thereof.

4, This act shall be in force from its passage.