(a) A water improvement district created subject to the limitations of Article III, Section 52, of the Texas Constitution, may be converted into a water improvement district operating under the authority of Article XVI, Section 59, of the Texas Constitution, as provided by this section.
(b) On the petition of 20 percent of the owners of land in the district, the board of directors shall order an election to determine whether the district shall be converted to a district operating under Article XVI, Section 59, of the Texas Constitution. The election shall be conducted under the rules applicable to general elections in the district. The ballots shall be printed to provide for voting for or against: “Conservation and Reclamation.”

(c) The board shall canvass the returns, make an order declaring the result of the election, and have the order recorded in the deed records of the county or counties in which the district is located. If the result of the election is affirmative, the district begins operating under Article XVI, Section 59, of the Texas Constitution, without change of name or impairment of its obligations, when the order is recorded.