(a) The governing authority of any county or municipality which conducts elections by paper ballot may, upon its own motion, submit to the electors of the county or municipality, at any election, the question: "Shall voting machines be used in __________?"

(b) The governing authority of any county or municipality which conducts elections by paper ballot, upon the filing of a petition with it signed by electors of the county equal in number to at least 1 percent of the total number of electors who voted in such county at the preceding general election or upon the receipt of a petition signed by at least 10 percent of the electors who voted in such municipality at the preceding general election, shall, at the next election occurring at least 45 days thereafter, submit to the electors of such county or municipality the question: "Shall voting machines be used in __________?"

(c) The governing authority shall cause such question to be printed upon the ballots to be used at the election in the form and manner provided by the laws governing general elections.

(d) The election on such question shall be held at the places, during the hours, and under the regulations provided by law for holding general elections and shall be conducted by the poll officers provided by law to conduct such elections. The poll officers shall count the votes cast at the election on such question and shall make return thereof to the superintendent of such county or municipality as required by law. The returns shall be computed by the superintendent and, when so computed, a certificate of the total number of electors voting "Yes" and of the total number of electors voting "No" on such question shall be filed in the office of the governing authority and in the office of the Secretary of State.

(e) Whenever, under this Code section, the question of the adoption of voting machines is about to be submitted to the electors of any county or municipality, it shall be the duty of the governing authority of such county or municipality to ascertain whether current funds will be available to pay for such machines, if adopted and purchased, or whether it has power to increase the indebtedness of the county or municipality in an amount sufficient to pay for the machines without the consent of the electors; and, if such current funds will not be available and the power to increase the indebtedness of the county or municipality in a sufficient amount without the consent of the electors is lacking, it shall be the duty of the governing authority to submit to the electors of the county or municipality, in the manner provided by law, at the same election at which the adoption of voting machines is to be voted on, the question of whether the indebtedness of such county or municipality shall be increased, in an amount specified by them, sufficient to pay for such voting machines, if adopted.

(f) If a majority of the electors voting on such question or questions shall vote in the affirmative, the governing authority of such county or municipality shall purchase, lease, or rent voting machines, conforming to the requirements of this part, for recording and computing the vote at all elections held in such county or municipality.