Chap. 46.—An ACT to amend and re-enact Section 144 of the Code of reins.
Approved February 19, 1936

1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, That section
one hundred and forty-four of the Code of Virginia be amended and
re-enacted so as to read as follows:

Section 144. How Number Increased or Diminished, Abandoned
or Abolished, 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 rearrange, increase
or diminish the number thereof, or abandon or abolish any election
district or voting place therein, and it may change the voting places,
or establish others therein; provided, however, that no election district
shall hereafter be established, or boundaries 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, decreased, abandoned or abolished.
Provided, however, that if in any election district or voting place
therein there be not twenty qualified voters within the bound of said
election district or voting place sought to be abandoned or abolished
then the said petition shall be signed by a majority of the qualified
voters of said election district. When an order is entered under this
section, changing the name of an election district, or re-arranging, in-
creasing or diminishing the number of election districts or abandoning
or abolishing such election district or voting place 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 preced-
ing 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.