(a) Election to be held.--In any municipality, an election may be held on the date of the primary election immediately preceding any municipal election, but not more than once in four years, to determine the will of the electors with respect to the issuance of licenses within the limits of such municipality under the provisions of this act. Where an election shall have been held at the primary election preceding a municipal election in any year, another election may be held under the provisions of this act at the primary election occurring the fourth year after such prior election. Whenever electors equal to at least 25% of the highest vote cast for any office in the municipality at the last preceding general election shall file a petition with the county board of elections of the county, or the governing body of the municipality adopts, by a majority vote, a resolution to place such a question on the ballot and a copy of the resolution is filed with the board of elections of the county, for a referendum on the question of issuing licenses, the county board of elections shall cause a question to be placed on the ballot or on the voting machine board and submitted at the primary election immediately preceding the municipal election. The question shall be in the following form:

(b) Vote.--If a majority of the electors voting on the question vote “yes,” then licenses shall be issued by the licensing authority in such municipality, but if a majority of the electors voting on any such question vote “no,” then the licensing authority shall have no power to issue or to renew, upon their expiration, any licenses in such municipality, unless and until, at a later election, a majority of the voting electors vote “yes” on such question.

(c) Voting proceedings.--Proceedings under this section shall be in accordance with the provisions of the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L. 1333, No. 320),¹ known as the Pennsylvania Election Code.

(d) Applicability.--This act applies only to those eligible organizations located in municipalities which have adopted the provisions of this act by an affirmative vote in a municipal referendum in accordance with the provisions of this section.

(e) Withdrawal of approval.--The referendum procedure contained in this section shall also be available to withdraw the approval of the issuance of such licenses within such municipality which was granted through a prior referendum.

(f) Special exception.--Notwithstanding any other provision of this act to the contrary, in any municipality except a city of the first class where an election was held pursuant to this section on May 16, 1989, and a majority of the electors voted “NO” on the question, the municipality shall be able to resubmit the question, in accordance with the procedures set forth in this section, at the general election immediately following July 11, 1990.