All cities heretofore incorporated under any general or special law of this state, and having a population of 10,000 or less, according to the last preceding census, are hereby reincorporated under and made subject to the provisions of this act, as cities of the fourth class, such reincorporation to take effect on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord 1896, and all acts by virtue of which such cities have been incorporated are hereby repealed from and after the said first day of January, in the year of our Lord 1896, except as hereinafter in this section provided. However, if 50 or more of the qualified voters of any city described in this section as a city of the fourth class, which city has been incorporated under a special act of the legislature, shall file with the city council, on or before the first day of November, in the year of our Lord 1895, a petition praying that an election of the qualified voters of such city be called to determine the question as to whether such city shall remain incorporated under the special act under which it was incorporated and by which it is governed at the time of the filing of the petition, or whether it shall become subject to the provisions of this act, thereupon it shall be the duty of the city council, within 10 days after the filing of the petition, to call a special election of the qualified voters of the city to determine the question. If a majority of all the votes cast at the election are in favor of remaining incorporated under the special act by which the city is governed at the time of the filing of the petition, then the city shall not be reincorporated under the provisions of this act, but shall remain incorporated under the special act, which shall remain in full force and effect as if this law had not been enacted. However, if a city of this state, when the population of the city is 10,000 or less, according to the last preceding state census even though the voters of the city previously elected to remain incorporated under the special act governing the city, may be incorporated under and made subject to the provisions of this act and the act of which this act is amendatory, as a city of the fourth class as provided in this section. If 100 or more registered electors residing within the city files with the city council, on or before the first day of July in any year, a petition praying that an election of the qualified voters of the city be called to determine the question as to whether the city shall become incorporated as a city of the fourth class under this act, then the city council shall within 10 days after the filing of the petition call a special election of the qualified voters of the city to determine the question. Except as otherwise provided in this section, an election held under this chapter shall be held upon such day, and at such time and in such places in the city as may be designated by a resolution of the city council. However, an election shall be held on or before the first day of December in the year in which the petition under this section is filed. Notice of the election shall be given in the same manner and for the same length of time as is provided in the charter of the city for the calling of special elections, and the votes shall be counted and canvassed, and the returns shall be made, and the result declared and determined in the same manner as is provided in the charter for the counting, canvassing, and returning of votes, and the determining of the result of the election at special elections. No new registration shall be necessary for the holding of the election, and only those whose names appear in the registration books used at the next previous annual city election shall be entitled to vote at the election. The ballots used at the election shall contain the instructions required by the general election laws of the state, and the proposition to be submitted shall be in the following language:

   For becoming reincorporated under the general law — Yes. []

   For becoming reincorporated under the general law — No. []

   If a majority of the votes cast at the election shall be in favor of reincorporating under the provisions of this act, then the city shall become reincorporated under and made subject to the provisions of this act on the first day of January in the year following the special election. At the next regular meeting, the council shall, by a resolution to be entered in the record of their proceedings, recite that at the election, stating the date of the election, the question as to whether the city should be reincorporated as a city of the fourth class under the provisions of this act was submitted to a vote of the electors of the city, and that a majority of those voting upon the question, voted for reincorporation, and shall in the resolution declare that, in accordance with said vote, the city shall be and is reincorporated as a city of the fourth class; the clerk of the city shall record the same in the record of the proceedings of the council and shall make a copy of so much of the record of the proceedings of the meeting at which the resolution was adopted as may be necessary to show the time and place of holding the meeting, and the names of the members of the council who were present, and the passage of the resolution, including a true copy of the record. The clerk and the mayor of the city shall annex their certificate to the true copy of the record, under the corporate seal of the city showing the same to be a true copy of the record, which said certified copy of the record and resolution shall be designated as a “declaration of reincorporation” and shall be transmitted to, and filed and recorded in the office of the secretary of state, and the declaration of reincorporation filed in the office of the secretary of state, or the records of the secretary of state, or certified copies of such records shall be prima facie evidence of the due and legal reincorporation of the city as a city of the fourth class under the provisions of this act.