A petition to increase the number of members of the board of directors of any district providing at least 225 hospital beds from five to seven members may be signed and filed with the board of directors at least three months prior to any general hospital district election by registered voters residing within any such local hospital district, equal in number to at least 5 percent of the number of votes cast in that district for the office of Governor at the last preceding election at which a Governor was elected. Upon receipt of this petition the board of directors shall prepare a measure to be printed on the ballots used at the next general hospital district election. The measure shall be printed on the ballots substantially as follows:

“Shall the number of directors of the ____ Hospital District be increased from five to seven?”, with the words “Yes” and “No” so printed in connection therewith that the voters may express their choice.

The county elections official of the organizing county shall accept arguments for and against the measure to be mailed to each registered voter in the district, in accordance with the procedure specified in Article 3 (commencing with Section 9160) of Chapter 2 of Division 9 of the Elections Code.

Under the measure, in the manner provided in this article, there shall be printed the names of those persons who have been nominated for the additional directorships.

The returns of the election shall be canvassed and declared as at other general hospital district elections. If a majority of the votes cast in the election are in favor of the measure the board of directors shall by resolution declare that the lawful number of directors of the district has been increased by the designated number of members. If a majority of the votes cast in the election are opposed to the measure, no similar measure shall be placed on the ballot until the next general hospital district election.

(Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 923, Sec. 148. Effective January 1, 1995.)