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2006 SESSION
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 24.2-687 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 24.2-687. Authorization for distribution of information on referendum elections.
A. The governing body of any county, or city or
town may provide for the preparation and printing of an explanation for
each referendum question to be submitted to the voters of the county, or
city or town to be distributed at the polling places on the day of the
referendum election. The governing body may have the explanation published by
paid advertisement in a newspaper with general circulation in the county,
or city or town one or more times preceding the referendum.
The explanation shall contain the ballot question and a
statement of not more than 500 words on the proposed question. The explanation
shall be presented in plain English, shall be limited to a neutral explanation,
and shall not present arguments by either proponents or opponents of the
proposal. The attorney for the county, or city or town or,
if there is no county, or city or town attorney, the
attorney for the Commonwealth shall prepare the explanation. "Plain
English" means written in nontechnical, readily understandable language
using words of common everyday usage and avoiding legal terms and phrases or
other terms and words of art whose usage or special meaning primarily is
limited to a particular field or profession.
B. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit a
county, or city or town from disseminating other neutral
materials or advertisements concerning issues of public concern that are the
subject of a referendum; however, the materials or advertisements shall not
advocate the passage or defeat of the referendum question.
C. This section shall not be applicable to statewide referenda.
D. Any failure to comply with the provisions of this section shall not affect the validity of the referendum.