The question of the adoption of the provisions of this act, in the form set forth in section 23 of this act, shall be submitted to the legal voters of every municipality in this State at a special election to be held therein at the same time as the primary election for the general election which will be held on the third Tuesday in April in the year 1954 in such manner that every voter qualified to vote at such special election upon said question may vote at said special election for or against such question separately and whether or not he is qualified to vote, or desires to vote, for any candidate on any party ballot to be voted at said primary election.

In every election district in which paper ballots are used the clerk of the municipality shall provide a sufficient number of special ballots to be voted separately upon said question at said special election by the voters who are qualified to vote upon said question whether or not they are qualified to vote, or desire to vote, for any candidate on any party ballot to be used at said primary election.

The special ballots shall be in such form as shall be determined by the clerk of the county in which the municipality is situated and shall so far as practicable correspond in form and detail to the provisions of Title 19, Elections, of the Revised Statutes but they shall not contain the names of any candidates to be voted upon at any such election.

The special ballots when voted shall be deposited by the election officers in either of the ballot boxes used at such election.

In election districts in which voting machines are used the officers charged with the duty of preparing and placing the ballots upon the machines shall cause the question to be so placed upon every machine used in such primary election that any voter qualified to vote upon said question may vote thereon separately in such special election whether or not he desires or is qualified to vote a party ballot at said primary election, and special voting authorities shall be provided for use in cases where they are required or are used in such form as shall be determined by the county board of elections of the county in which the respective municipalities are situate, which shall be furnished and paid for in the same manner as are other voting authorities used at said election.

All of the ballots cast at said election on said question in each municipality shall be counted and the result thereof shall be returned and canvassed in the manner provided by law in the case of public questions submitted in the several municipalities of this State.

L.1954, c. 5, p. 27, s. 21.