A. The Department shall not grant any initial license to operate a gaming operation in an eligible host city until a referendum on the question of whether casino gaming shall be permitted in such city is approved by the voters of such city.
B. The governing body of any city containing an eligible host city shall petition the court, by resolution, asking that a referendum be held on the question of whether casino gaming shall be permitted within the city. The court, by order entered of record in accordance with Article 5 (§ 24.2-681 et seq.) of Chapter 6 of Title 24.2, shall require the regular election officials of the city to open the polls and take the sense of the voters on the question as herein provided.
C. The clerk of such court of record of such city shall publish notice of such election in a newspaper of general circulation in such city once a week for three consecutive weeks prior to such election.
D. The regular election officers of such city shall open the polls at the various voting places in such city on the date specified in such order and conduct such election in the manner provided by law. The election shall be by ballot, which shall be prepared by the electoral board of the city and on which shall be printed the following question: “Shall casino gaming be permitted at a casino gaming establishment in (name of city and location) as may be approved by the Virginia Lottery Board? [ ] Yes [ ] No” In the blank shall be inserted the name of the city in which such election is held and the proposed location of the casino gaming establishment. Any voter desiring to vote “Yes” shall mark in the square provided for such purpose immediately preceding the word “Yes,” leaving the square immediately preceding the word “No” unmarked. Any voter desiring to vote “No” shall mark in the square provided for such purpose immediately preceding the word “No,” leaving the square immediately preceding the word “Yes” unmarked.
E. The ballots shall be counted, the returns made and canvassed as in other elections, and the results certified by the electoral board to the court ordering such election. Thereupon, such court shall enter an order proclaiming the results of such election and a duly certified copy of such order shall be transmitted to the Department and to the governing body of such city.
F. A subsequent local referendum shall be required if a license has not been granted by the Board within five years of the court order proclaiming the results of the election.
G. The governing body of any eligible host city that holds a local referendum pursuant to this section that subsequently fails shall be prohibited from holding another local referendum on the same question for a period of three years from the date of the last referendum.