CHAP. 146.—An ACT to submit to the qualified voters of the State and
the several counties and cities thereof for their approval or rejection,
the question of whether State bonds for roads shall be authorized by
the general assembly of 1924, and providing for the certification of
the result of such election in the State at large and by house and
senatorial districts. [H B 84]

Approved March 29, 1928.

Whereas, it is evident that the people of Virginia want the
highway system and other roads completed as quickly as this
ean be done efficiently and economically, and are willing to pro-
vide the necessary funds for the accomplishment of this pur-
pose; and,

Whereas, on the other hand there is a sharp division among
them as to the policy and method of raising the necessary funds
for this purpose, the two plans being either to borrow the
money and issue bonds therefor, or to adopt the ‘““nay-as-you-g0”
plan; and,

Whereas, it is very desirable that the members of the general
assembly to be chosen at the next general election, to be held in
November of this year, and who at the regular session of nine-
teen hundred and twenty-four, are to determine this important
question, should have an expression from all the voters of the
cities and counties composing the respective senatorial and
house districts of such members though the result cannot, under
the Constitution, be made binding upon the members of the
general assembly to be elected at the same time that this question
is to be voted on; now, therefore,

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
the following question, as set out in paragraphs a, b, ¢c, d, e, and f
of this act be, and it is hereby, submitted to the qualified
voters of the State and the counties and cities thereof as herein-
after provided, for their approval or rejection, to-wit:

(a) Shall the general assembly of nineteen hundred and
twenty-four enact legislation directing State bond issues of
fifty million dollars;

(b) Eighty per centum of the proceeds of said bond issues
to be devoted to the construction of roads and bridges embraced
in the State highway systzm;

(c) Twenty per centum of the proceeds of said bond issues
to be devoted to the construction of roads and bridges embraced
in the several county highway systems, provided such roads shall
be tributary to and constructed from State highways; and pro-
vided further, that before said roads are constructed, the same
shall be selected by and added to the State highway system by
the State highway commission, in addition to roads added to
said system according to other laws.

(d) The said twenty per centum for the county roads to
be distributed among the several counties in the same manner
and upon the same conditions as State money aid is now dis-
tributed to said counties, except as qualified by sub-section (c)
above, and that the counties shall not be required to match the
said twenty per centum or any part thereof, although the
counties, or any one for them, may do so at their option.

(e) Said bonds to be issued in annual installments of ten
million dollars per year, beginning with the year nineteen hun-
dred and twenty-four, and to yield the State net proceeds of not
less than the par value of said bonds, with accrued interest.

(f) The interest and sinking fund for the retirement of
said bonds to be provided for by the levv of a tax not exceeding
two cents per gallon on gasoline or other motor fuel and the
present State mill tax for road construction, or so much thereof
as may be necessary.

2. The governor, not less than sixty days before the Tues-
day after the first Monday of the month of November, 1923,
shall issue a writ of election calling an election to be held under
the provisions of this act on the Tuesday after the first Monday
of the month of November, 1923. Said writ shall be directed
to the sheriffs of the counties and to the sergeants of the cities
and towns of the State, whose duty it shall be to forthwith post
a notice of said election at each voting precinct in each of the
counties, cities and towns of the State, respectively.

The governor shall give notice of said election to the officers
charged with the duty of conducting elections throughout the
State, which notice shall be given by a proclamation of the
governor, which he shall cause to be printed at least once a week
for three consecutive weeks in at least ten newspapers of general
circulation published in various sections of the state. Said
election shall be held and conducted as other elections are held
and conducted, and the necessary expenses of the same paid as
provided by general] law.

3. The ballots to be used in said election shall be prepared
and furnished by the regular election officials and on each ballot
shall be printed in separate lines the following words:

“FOR State Bond Issue for Roads”
“AGAINST State Bond Issue for Roads”

and said ballots shall in all other respects conform to general
law. Voters desiring to vote for the bond issue shall strike out
the words, “Against State bond issue for roads” and voters de-
siring to vote against a bond issue shall strike out the words,
“For State bond issue for roads.” Voters striking out or erasing
the words “For” or “Against” shall be deemed to have stricken
out or erased the entire line. :

The manner of receiving and canvassing the ballot, and
making returns and abstracts thereof, shall conform in all re-
spects to the requirements of the general election law, except
that the certificate of the judges, as to the result of the election
upon this question at each of the voting precincts of the State
shall be as follows:

“We hereby certify at the election held on the day of
— , nineten hundred and , —————- votes
were cast for State road bonds, and —-_-————_ votes were cast
against State road bonds.
.B., E.F.,
C. D., G. H.,
CLERKS. J. K.

b
JUDGES.”

4. The proper official canvassers of general election results
shall canvass these returns in like manner as other election re-
turns, and they shall certify the number of votes cast for and
against State road bonds, respectively, in each county, city and
town, as the case may be, respectively, and said canvassers shall
file their said certificates in the office of the clerk of the circuit
court of the county, in the case of a county or town, and in the
office of the clerk of the corporation court in the case of a city,
or if the city have no corporation court, then in the office of the
clerk of the circuit court having jurisdiction in such city, as
the case may be, and shall forward at once by registered mail to
the secretary of the Commonwealth a duplicated copy of their
said certificate, and the secretary of the Commonwealth shall,
within fifteen days from the date of the said election or soon
thereafter as he shall obtain said returns, make and certify to
the governor a statement showing the total number of votes
cast for and against State road bonds.

The governor immediately upon the convening of the general
assembly of 1924 shall communicate the result of the election,
first: in the State at large, and second: in each house and sena-
torial district, to both houses of the general assembly.

5. Every person shall be qualified to vote at the election
directed hereunder, who is on the day of said election qualified
to vote at the regular election to be held on the Tuesday after the
first Monday in November, nineteen hundred and twenty-three.