Chap. 232.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 144 of the Code of Virginia
as amended by an act approved March 29, 1923, in relation to elections.

[S B 255]
Approved March 14, 1924. ;

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That section
one hundred and forty-four of the Code of Virginia, as amended by an
act approved March twenty-ninth, nineteen hundred and twenty-three,
be amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

Section 144. How number increased or diminished, or boundaries
altered, or name changed.—Upon the petition of twenty qualified voters
of a magisterial district of a county, the circuit court of such county
may, In term time or In vacation, in its discretion, change the name of any
election district therein, alter the boundaries of any election district
therein, and re-arrange, increase or diminish the number thereof, and
it may change the voting places, or establish others herein; provided,
however, that no election district shall hereafter be established, or bound-
arles altered, re-arranged, or changed in any magisterial district. of a
county unless each of said twenty qualified petitioning voters shall
actually reside and separately and individually hold in fee simple real
estate situated within the boundaries of said election district sought to
be established, altered, re-arranged, changed, increased or decreased.
When an order is entered under this section, changing the name of an
election district, or re-arranging, increasing or diminishing the number
of election districts in a magisterial district, it shall be the duty of the
court in its order to designate such new election district or districts by
proper and well defined boundaries. <A copy of the order shall be posted,
without delay at the courthouse of the county, also at the voting place
of an election district the name of which has been changed, and at each
new voting place established, and at any former voting place which may
be affected by the change; but no change shall be made in the name of
any election district, or in any of the said boundaries or voting places,
within thirty days next preceding any general election, nor until notice
shall have been posted for thirty days at the front door of the-courthouse
and at each voting place in each election district to be affected by the
said change.