(a) The county election board may, upon their own motion, submit to the qualified electors of the county, or of any city, borough or township thereof, at any general or municipal election, the question “Shall voting machines be used in the (county, city, borough or township) of ........................?”

(b) The county election board, upon receipt of a request from the council of any city or borough, or from the commissioners or supervisors of any township, said request being evidenced by the filing of a copy of a resolution certified by the secretary or clerk of the council, commissioners or supervisors, or upon the filing of a petition with them signed by qualified electors of the county, city, borough or township, equal in number to at least ten per cent of the total number of electors who voted in said county, city, borough or township at the preceding general or municipal election, but in no case less than fifty, unless the total number of electors who voted therein at the preceding general or municipal election was less than one hundred, in which case one-half of the number so voting shall be sufficient, shall, at the next general or municipal election, occurring at least sixty days thereafter, submit to the qualified electors of such county, city, borough or township, the question “Shall voting machines be used in the (county, city, borough or township) of ..............?”

(c) The county board shall cause the said question to be printed upon the ballots to be used at the election, in the form and manner provided by the laws governing general and municipal elections.

(d) The election on said question shall be held at the places, during the hours, and under the regulations, provided by law for holding general and municipal elections, and shall be conducted by the election officers provided by law to conduct such elections. The election officers shall count the votes cast at the elections on said question, and shall make return thereof to the county election board of the county, as required by law. Said returns shall be computed by the county election board, or other return board, 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 county election board, and copies thereof, certified by the county election board, shall forthwith be furnished to the Secretary of the Commonwealth, and to the county commissioners or other appropriating authority.

(e) Where the qualified electors of any city, borough or township vote in favor of the adoption of voting machines in such city, borough or township, a vote on the question of adoption of voting machines by the qualified electors of the entire county containing therein such city, borough or township, held at the same time or at a subsequent time, the result of which vote is against the adoption of voting machines, shall not be considered as a vote to discontinue the use of voting machines in such city, borough or township.

(f) If a majority of the electors of any county, city, borough or township, voting on such question, shall vote against the adoption of voting machines, the question shall not again be submitted to the voters of such political subdivision within a period of one hundred and three weeks.

(g) Whenever, under the provisions of this section, the question of the adoption of voting machines is about to be submitted to the electors of any county, city, borough or township, it shall be the duty of the county commissioners, or other authority which levies taxes for county purposes in such county, to ascertain whether current funds will be available to pay for said machines, if adopted and purchased, or whether they have power to increase the indebtedness of the county in an amount sufficient to pay for the same 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 in a sufficient amount without the consent of the electors is lacking, it shall be the duty of the county commissioners, or other authority aforesaid, to submit to the electors of the county, in the manner provided by law, at the same election at which the adoption of voting machines is to be voted on, the question whether the indebtedness of such county shall be increased, in an amount specified by them, sufficient to pay for such voting machines, if adopted.