45-415. Local initiation for active management area; procedures

A. A groundwater basin which is not included within an initial active management area may be designated an active management area upon petition by ten per cent of the registered voters residing within the boundaries of the proposed active management area, as of the most recent report compiled by the county recorder in compliance with section 16-168, subsection G, and a subsequent election held pursuant to the general election laws of this state. The form of the petition shall be the same as for initiative petitions, and the applicant for such petition shall comply with the provisions of section 19-111.

B. Upon application for a petition number with the clerk of the board of supervisors or county election officer, the director shall transmit a map of the groundwater basin to the county recorder of each county in which the proposed active management area is located. The map shall be on a scale adequate to show with substantial accuracy where the boundaries of the groundwater basin cross the boundaries of county voting precincts. The director shall also transmit to the county recorder all other factual data concerning the boundaries of the groundwater basin that may aid the county recorder in the determination of which registered voters of the county are residents of the groundwater basin.

C. Any registered voter of a county whose residency in the groundwater basin is in question shall be allowed to vote. The ballot shall be placed in a separate envelope, the outside of which shall contain the precinct name and number, the signature of the voter, the residence address of the voter, and the voter registration number of the voter, if available. The voter receipt card shall be attached to the envelope. The county recorder shall verify the ballot for proper residency of the voter before counting. Such verification shall be made within five business days following the election, and the voter receipt card shall be returned to the voter. Verified ballots shall be counted using the procedure outlined for counting early ballots. If residency in the groundwater basin is not verified, the ballot shall remain unopened and shall be destroyed.

D. Except as provided in subsection E of this section, all election expenses incurred pursuant to this section are the responsibility of the county involved.

E. If a groundwater basin is located in two or more counties, the following procedures apply:

1. The petition shall be filed with the clerk of the board of supervisors or county election officer of the county in which the plurality of the registered voters in the groundwater basin resides.

2. The number of registered voters required to sign the petition shall be ten per cent of the registered voters residing within the boundaries of the proposed active management area, as of the most recent report compiled by the county recorder in compliance with section 16-168, subsection G, within the county in which the plurality of the registered voters in the groundwater basin resides.

3. The election shall be called by the board of supervisors of the county in which the petition is filed, and the board shall immediately notify the board of supervisors of any other county included in the groundwater basin of the date of the election. The election shall be held not less than sixty days or more than ninety days from the date of the call. The board of supervisors so notified shall then call the election in that county for the same date and follow the procedures for conducting the general elections in this state.

4. All election expenses incurred pursuant to this subsection are the responsibilities of the counties involved on a proportional basis considering the number of registered voters of each county that are residents of the groundwater basin.

F. The ballot shall be worded, " Should the (insert name of basin) groundwater basin be designated an active management area?" followed by the words " yes" and " no" . Opposite each such word there shall be a square in which the voter may make a cross indicating his preference.