(A) If a countywide or less than countywide referendum is held on a question, the electoral board charged with conducting the referendum shall make the ballot question available to the news media in the county at least forty-five days in advance of the date of the referendum.
(B) If the electoral board determines that a referendum question is of a nature that it might not be clearly understood by the voters, it may prepare a simplified or, when appropriate, more detailed explanation of the question that must be placed on the ballot along with the referendum question. When mechanical devices for voting are used, printed copies of the explanation must be made available at each voting precinct. The explanation provided must be made available to the news media in the county on the same schedule provided in subsection (A).
(C) No referendum may be challenged on the grounds that the electoral board failed to act in a timely manner to implement this section.
(D) The provisions of Section 7-13-2130 apply with respect to any proceeding challenging a referendum based on any explanation provided by the electoral board.
(E) The provisions of this section do not apply to a referendum for which the General Assembly provides the ballot question.
HISTORY: 1999 Act No. 2, Section 1, eff January 1, 1999 (became law without the Governor's signature January 14, 1999).