§ 5:8-116 — Petition; number of signers; question

17. Upon a petition signed by qualified voters of any municipality equal in number to at least 15 percent of the total number of votes cast therein at the latest preceding general election for members of the General Assembly and filed with the clerk of the municipality at least 60 days before such election, the governing body of the municipality shall provide for the submission to the legal voters of the municipality at such general election, the question of whether this act shall become operative or cease to be operative in such municipality, as the case may be. If, upon such submission of the question, the majority of all the valid votes cast on the question shall be in favor of having this act inoperative in the municipality, then this act shall, 60 days thereafter, become inoperative in the municipality. The question shall be deemed to be a public question and shall be submitted to the voters as in the case of other public questions. The question shall be stated as follows: Yes Shall the act entitled "An act authorizing the conducting, operating and playing of certain amusement games, whether of chance or skill, or both, where the prizes or awards to be given shall be of merchandise prizes or awards to be given shall be of merchandise only, of a value to be determined by the Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission and the charge for the privilege of playing shall be determined by the commission; providing for the licensing, regulation and control by the commission, of the conducting and operating of such games; providing restrictions as to the places where such games may be conducted and operated; providing that certain playing for money or other valuable things is not authorized; providing for the operation and inoperation of the act in any municipality when so determined by referendum vote therein; and providing for the submission of this act to the legal voters of the State for their approval or rejection before the same shall become operative within this State," become .................... (insert operative or inoperative) in this municipality? No In the blank space set forth in the above box, the word "operative" or "inoperative" shall be inserted in the question when it is submitted to the voters of the municipality according to whether this act became operative by reason of the vote on the question submitted to all the voters of the State as to whether this act should become operative. If a majority of the voters in the municipality who voted on the said general public question was in the affirmative and, thereby, under the provisions of this act, municipal licenses are authorized, then the word "inoperative" should be included in the above blank space, but if this act does not become operative in the municipality because a majority of the votes cast therein on the general public question was in the negative, then the word "operative" should be inserted in the above-mentioned blank space. If this act shall have become operative in any municipality by reason of a referendum vote therein, as herein provided, and a further referendum is authorized to determine the question of whether this act shall become inoperative notwithstanding such previous approval by the voters, then the word "inoperative" should be inserted in the above blank space. L.1959, c. 109, p. 516, s. 17; 2022, c.80, s.7.