                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

AUTHORIZATION FOR DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION ON REFERENDUM ELECTIONS (§
24.2-687)

A. The governing body of any county, 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, 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, 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, city or town or, if there is no county, city or town attorney, the
attorney for the Commonwealth shall prepare the explanation. &#8220;Plain
English&#8221; 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.
			If the referendum question involves the issuance of bonds by a locality, the
locality shall provide for such printed explanation. The explanation shall (i)
state the estimated maximum amount of the bonds proposed to be issued, and (ii)
state the proposed use of the bond proceeds, and if there is more than one use,
state the proposed uses for which more than 10 percent of the total bond
proceeds is expected to be used.

B. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit a county, 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.

HISTORY: 1996, c. 297; 2004, cc. 21, 399; 2006, c. 302; 2011, c. 590.