The board of county commissioners of any county may provide for the collection of records, documents and other articles of historical value or interest and may establish, maintain, display and provide housing for, within the courthouse or elsewhere, an historical collection of the records, documents and other articles so collected in the manner hereinafter provided. Any such board desiring to so collect such things of historical value or interest and to so establish, maintain, display and provide housing for an historical collection shall adopt a resolution declaring their intent to do so and that the same is of historical and educational value. Said resolution shall be published once each week for two (2) consecutive weeks in the official county paper. If a petition in opposition to the making of such collection and the establishment, maintenance, display and housing of such historical collection, signed by a number of legal electors of the county equal to or greater than ten percent (10%) of the total vote cast for the office of secretary of state in such county at the last preceding general election is not filed with the county clerk within sixty (60) days after the date of last publication of said resolution, said board may proceed to provide for such collection and establish, maintain, display and provide housing for such historical collection.

If such petition shall be filed, then the question of the providing for such collection and the establishment, maintenance, display and housing of such collection shall be submitted, at the next general election, to the legal electors of the county for their approval or rejection in the manner provided by Kan. Stat. Ann. § 25-605. The question shall be stated on the ballot substantially as follows:

“Shall the board of county commissioners of ____________ county (here insert name of county) provide for the collection of records, documents and articles of historical value or interest and establish, maintain, display and provide housing for an historical collection of such records, documents and articles?”

If a majority of those voting on the question shall vote in favor of said proposition, then the board of county commissioners shall proceed to provide for such collection and establish, maintain, display and provide housing for such an historical collection but if a majority of the votes cast shall be against such proposition then said board shall proceed no further.