When a petition is filed in the office of the county auditor pursuant to section 11-28.3-01, the county auditor shall determine and certify that the petition has been signed by at least fifty qualified electors, or if there are fewer than fifty qualified electors residing in the territory, fifty percent of the eligible voters residing within the boundaries of the proposed district. If the proposed district is situated within two or more counties, the county auditor of the county wherein most of the petitioners reside shall confer with the other affected county auditors for the purpose of determining the adequacy of the petitions in all the counties affected.

If the county auditor or county auditors determine the petitions submitted are adequate according to the provisions of this chapter, the question of whether the rural ambulance service district is to be formed and organized must be submitted to a vote of the qualified electors residing in the proposed district at the next ensuing countywide special, primary, or general election. The election provided for by this chapter must be conducted in the same manner as other county elections are conducted, except as otherwise provided by this chapter.